Welcome Home
by ellsbells10
Summary: Cate finds Lux by chance at age 14 instead of 16
1. Something to Celebrate

"What about this one?" Tasha gestured toward a graphic tee.

Lux grinned when she saw the skull and crossbones. "That will scare them off," she said, referring to the people who were deciding if they wanted to foster Lux that evening.

"The coast is clear," Tasha reported after glancing around to ensure no one was watching.

Lux quickly ripped the sensor off the shirt, a skill she'd acquired long ago, and put it in her bag. "Most kids have a party for their birthday. I get to be looked at like a puppy to see if I'm the right foster kid for them to bring home," she muttered.

"Like a puppy? No, more like a slave to see if you'll be able to hack cleaning up after them or babysitting their kids," Tasha retorted.

"Hey, I think that's Cate Cassidy from Cate and Ryan," Lux whispered, gesturing to a pretty brunette who had just entered the boutique.

"What is it with you and that show?" Tasha asked, laughing. Lux always woke up early to listen to her favorite radio show.

Cate was in desperate need of retail therapy. This was always a hard day for her. Fourteen years ago today she made the most difficult decision of her life. She gave birth to a daughter, but gave her up for adoption. Her decision had haunted her every day since, but it was especially painful today.

Ryan had known something was wrong. He'd wanted to talk about it, but she couldn't. She couldn't tell him. What would he think of her? He wouldn't want her anymore. So, she'd taken off as soon as they finished the show and ended up at the mall.

"Excuse me," Lux said nervously. Cate looked up curiously. "Are you Cate Cassidy?"

Cate stared at the girl's eyes. There was something eerily familiar about them. Cate felt like she knew this girl, but couldn't place her. "Yes. I'm sorry, have we met?"

"I knew it! I listen to your show every day," Lux gushed.

Of course they didn't know each other, Cate thought. The girl was just a fan. A really young fan. "Aren't you a little young for the show?" Cate asked, recalling that morning's discussion about her many flings.

Lux rolled her eyes. "Aren't you a little old to have commitment issues?"

Cate made a face.

"Sorry. I'm thirteen. I mean, fourteen," Lux corrected, forgetting it was her birthday.

"It's her birthday," Tasha explained.

It was her daughter's birthday, too, and her daughter was the same age as this girl, Cate realized. This girl could be her daughter.

No, that's ridiculous, Cate thought. There were probably hundreds of girls born on the same day as Cate's daughter.

And, this girl didn't even look like her, Cate noticed. She had fair skin and blonde hair.

Can I get a picture with you?" Lux asked, digging through her bag for a camera.

"What?" Cate asked, distracted by her thoughts.

"A picture?" Lux motioned toward the camera.

Cate nodded and casually put her arm around the girl's shoulders to pose for the picture. She felt weird when she touched Lux. She couldn't explain it, but she felt connected to the girl.

Tasha snapped a picture and handed the camera back to Lux.

"Excuse me," a salesperson interrupted. "How would you like to pay for that shirt?"

Lux gave the salesperson a blank look.

"The one in your bag," the salesperson said pointedly.

"Come on," Tasha said to Lux, running from the boutique. Lux hesitated and the salesperson's hand closed around Lux's arm.

"I don't have enough for the shirt," Lux admitted, embarrassed that the radio show host she idolized was witnessing this. She handed the salesperson the shirt and turned for the door, not able to get out of there fast enough.

"Not so fast," the salesperson said, not releasing Lux. "I can't sell this shirt because you ripped the sensor out." She gestured toward a small hole where the sensor had been. "If you can't pay for it, I'll have to call your parents."

"Good luck with that," Lux muttered under her breath.

"What's their number?" The salesperson demanded.

"Do I look like someone who has parents?" Lux said sarcastically. "Ditching school, shoplifting…I'm a parent's worst nightmare."

"If you won't tell me, I'll have to call the police," the saleswomen insisted.

"I'll pay for the shirt," Cate interjected. She didn't know why she felt the urge to help this girl, but she did. She couldn't shake the feeling that she knew the girl.

"No, Cate, you don't have to do that. Really," Lux replied, her face reddening. "Look, just call the police."

"No!" Cate handed her credit card to the salesperson.

"Thank you," Lux said awkwardly as they left the store. "I'll pay you back. I have money…at home."

"It's OK," Cate said gently.

"Lux! I thought she'd call the cops for sure." Tasha appeared as soon as Cate and Lux were out of the store.

"She wanted to call my parents." Lux smirked.

Tasha snickered. "That would be kind of difficult."

Lux remembered Cate was standing there and nodded toward her. "But Cate paid for the shirt. I knew she'd be chill. She always seemed chill on the radio."

"What's your name?" Cate asked curiously.

Lux smiled. "Lux."

"Lux," Cate murmured thoughtfully. "I like that."

"Thanks. It means light. 'Cause I have blonde hair and both of my parents had dark hair," Lux explained.

Cate froze, studying Lux carefully. Lux was born on the same day as her daughter. Lux was the same age as her daughter. Lux's parents both had dark hair. Suddenly it hit her. Lux's eyes looked so familiar because she had Baze's eyes.

Lux noticed Cate staring at her and felt awkward. "Well…thanks. For the shirt. And the picture. We gotta go," Lux said.

"Wait!" Cate struggled for a reason to keep talking to Lux, to find out more about her. "Do you need a ride?"

"Yeah," Tasha said, not looking forward to the bus ride back.

Lux frowned at Tasha. "No, you've already done enough," she said to Cate.

"It's OK. I can give you a ride," Cate assured them.

Cate felt like she was going crazy. She had two teenage girls she'd never met before in her car. One of them had just been caught stealing. She was driving toward a bad part of town. This couldn't be good.

She was trying to convince herself that all of the similarities between Lux and her daughter were coincidences. Of course Lux wasn't her daughter. Who randomly bumps into the kid they gave up shopping? Only actors on bad Lifetime movies, Cate thought dully.

Cate would drop them off and Lux would go home, to her parents. _My parents __**had **__dark hair_, Lux's words echoed in Cate's head. "Wait a minute, your parents had dark hair? What happened to your parents?"

Lux gave Cate an odd look.

"Yeah, Lux, what happened to your parents?" Tasha smirked.

"Nothing. I mean, they still have dark hair," Lux fibbed. "You can drop us off here."

"Here?" Cate looked around. They were in a bad part of town, judging by the graffiti covering the walls, and there were no houses on this street, just dilapidated old buildings.

Lux nodded. "If you wait for a minute, I'll go get money to pay you back."

Cate stared at her blankly, having completely forgotten about the shirt.

"For the shirt," Lux explained. "I'll be right back. Just lock the car doors."

Cate watched Lux and Tasha disappear into a building. She looked for an address and jotted it down to look up later. She noticed several other girls enter the same building and wondered what it was. Lost in thought, she jumped when Lux rapped on the window.

"Sorry," Lux apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you." She handed Cate an envelope with money in it.


	2. Checking the Facts

Cate googled the address. Sunnyvale Home for Girls popped up. Cate keyed it in and clicked on the website.

_Home for girls in the foster care system._ Cate frowned. Her daughter wasn't in the foster care system. Her daughter had been adopted. The social worker had told her that there were waiting lists and they would have no problem placing Cate's baby.

Cate had to make sure. She googled _Oregon Social Services_ and skimmed the website for contact information.

"Social Services. How can I help you?" A woman answered.

"Hi," Cate said awkwardly, not sure where to begin. "I, uh, gave a baby up for adoption fourteen years ago and I wanted to…"

"When you signed the paperwork, you forfeited your parental rights," The voice interrupted.

"I know. I don't want my daughter back or anything," Cate said quickly. "I just, I don't know, I wanted to check and make sure she was adopted."

The woman took down Cate's information and promised that someone would get back to her.

Cate didn't know how she was going to make it through the show today. She was going crazy waiting to hear from Social Services. She kept checking her phone.

"What? Are you waiting for a call from your other boyfriend?" Ryan teased during a commercial break.

"Oh, are you jealous?" Cate retorted.

"Who, me? No." Ryan made a face and laughed.

"You should be." Cate raised her eyebrows.

After what seemed like hours, Cate's phone rang. She glanced at caller ID and dashed outside. "Hello?"

"Yes, this is Cate Cassidy."

"This is Fern with Social Services. I'm assigned to Lux's case," Fern explained.

"Lux?" Cate said. "I knew it."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing," Cate mumbled.

"Yes, as I was saying, I'm your daughter's social worker. What exactly do you want to know, Ms. Cassidy?" Fern continued.

"Was she adopted?" Cate asked.

Fern hesitated. "No, she wasn't adopted."

"What? Why? When I gave her up, your office told me they would have no problem placing her," Cate demanded angrily.

Fern sighed. "Lux was born with a heart defect. She was in and out of surgery until age three. There are waiting lists for newborns. But, the chances of placing a toddler aren't that great," she explained.

"Wait a minute, you're telling me that my daughter had heart surgery and no one bothered to tell me?" Cate said, horrified.

"Ms. Cassidy, you gave Lux up for adoption. She signed away your parental rights-"

"Yeah, because your office told me she would be better off!" Cate interrupted. "Is her heart OK?"

"Yes, she's doing well now," Fern said gently.

"How can she be doing well? She's just, what, been in a girl's home her whole life?" Cate demanded.

"She's been in the foster care system. She's been in and out of foster homes and, yes, in a girl's home," Fern explained.

"I want her," Cate said, without thinking.

"What?"

"I, uh, I want her. I gave her up because I thought she'd be better off. But, she's not. I want to take care of her," Cate replied.

"This is highly unusual. But, Lux doesn't have any other options at the moment. If you can pass a home inspection, the courts will grant you temporary physical custody of Lux," Fern said.

"Ryan, can you cover for me? I have to go," Cate said, retrieving her purse from the station.

"Sure. What's wrong?" Ryan looked concerned.

"I don't want to talk about it," Cate brushed him off.

"Shocking," Ryan muttered.


	3. Breaking the News

"Lux?" Fern approached Lux.

Lux stiffened and glared at Fern. "What?"

Fern sat down next to Lux. "I don't want to go with anyone," Lux said immediately.

"You haven't even given her a chance," Fern said gently.

"Her?" Lux asked curiously. "Not them?" She'd never been in a foster home with only one foster parent before. It was always couples.

"Yes, do you want to meet her?" Fern asked hopefully. She thought it best to let Cate explain who she was.

"It's not like I have a choice." Lux rolled her eyes. She knew how it worked. If someone wanted to foster her, she was gone. Whether she liked it or not.

Which is why she usually dressed to _not_ impress when she knew people were considering taking her. But, Fern hadn't given her any warning.

Lux followed Fern into the lobby, and was surprised to see Cate waiting. "Cate? What are you doing here?"

Cate smiled. "Hi. I, uh…"

Cate didn't know what to say. _Hi, I'm your mom_ might be a bit much.

Lux frowned and looked at Fern.

"You've met?" Fern asked, alarmed. Cate hadn't mentioned that.

Cate noticed and wondering if it would be a problem lied quickly, "No, no, Lux probably just recognizes me because I have a radio show."

Lux looked at Cate oddly, but said, "Yeah, that's it."

Cate breathed a sigh of relief, glad Lux hadn't told the truth.

"Wait a minute," Lux broke the awkward silence, "is this the she?"

Fern nodded.

"She wants me?" Lux asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I, uh, I do," Cate answered awkwardly.

"Why don't you go pack your things?" Fern suggested.

When Lux left, Fern turned to Cate. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Yeah, I am definitely ready for this," Cate assured her.

Fern frowned, but before she could say anything else, Lux appeared with her bags.

"That was fast," Cate commented. "Is that all?"

Lux nodded.

"I'll be in touch," Fern said, as Lux and Cate left.

"I don't understand," Lux said as soon as they got in the car. "First, you buy the shirt. Then, you show up and you want to, what, foster me? Why? You're young. And single. You like to go out. Why would you want to foster me?"

Cate stared at Lux, trying to figure out what to say, how to tell Lux she was her mother.

"Am I, like, your charity case of the month?" Lux tried again.

"No! You're not a charity case," Cate assured Lux. "You're my…"

"I'm your what?" Lux demanded. "Cate, I'm you what?"

"Red light," Lux pointed out.

"What?" Cate murmured.

"Red light! Cate, stop!"

Cate realized she was going through a red light and slammed on the brakes. She pulled to a stop hastily. "Are you OK?"

Lux nodded.

Cate swallowed. "Look, Lux, I uh, I realized something yesterday. In the boutique. In the car."

"It was your birthday. Your fourteenth birthday. Your name means light because your parents both had dark hair," Cate continued.

Lux was looking at Cate like she'd lost her mind. "Yeah, so? You were looking for a brand new teenager with blonde hair to take home?

"No, I, uh, I got pregnant in high school. On the night of the winter formal. And what I realized is, that you're my daughter," Cate explained.

"What are you saying?" Lux asked, confusion turning into shock. "You're my mom?"

Cate nodded. "I'm sorry I gave you up, but I was sixteen and I couldn't take care of you then."

"They told me they'd have no problem placing you. With adoptive parents. I should have checked," Cate muttered, hating herself for not making sure Lux was OK.

"Cate, there were probably a lot of babies born that day and given away. Just because I'm the same age and my parents had dark hair, it doesn't mean I'm your daughter," Lux said.

"I know this is a lot to take in. You're my daughter, Lux. You can ask Fern," Cate said with certainty.

"Why do you want me now?" Lux asked.

"What?" Cate stared at Lux blankly.

"I mean, you didn't want me then. Why do you want me now?" Lux said pointedly.

"I was sixteen, Lux," Cate said softly.

"If you don't want me, you shouldn't pretend that you do because you feel guilty or something," Lux said.

Lux's words stung. "It's not that I didn't want you. I just, I thought you'd be better off. I was sixteen. My mom is a drunk. I didn't have anyone to help me," Cate tried to explain. "I want you now, Lux."

"This is it," Cate said, showing Lux into her house. They'd driven the rest of the way in silence, neither knowing what to say.

Lux looked around. Cate's house was really nice. Cate must make decent money. She was practically famous. Lux couldn't help wondering why Cate hadn't checked on her. She hadn't been sixteen for, well, fourteen years. She could obviously afford to take care of a kid.

"What do you want for dinner?" Cate wondered.

Lux shrugged.

"How about Chinese?" Cate picked up the phone to order. She always ordered delivery. She was a terrible cook. She'd have to work on that. Moms were supposed to cook.

They ate in silence, both feeling awkward. After dinner, Cate produced a birthday cake from the refrigerator. It said _Happy Birthday Lux!_

Lux looked surprised. "You got me a birthday cake?"

"Sorry I missed your birthday yesterday," Cate apologized.

"Well, you didn't actually miss it. And you did save me from being arrested," Lux pointed out.

Cate frowned. "Do you, uh, do that often?"

"What? Steal?" Lux snickered.

"It's not funny, Lux," Cate admonished. "You could have gone to jail."

"Juvie, actually," Lux corrected.

Cate stared at her.

"Kids don't go to jail. They go to juvie. And really juvie isn't much different from Sunnyvale," Lux explained.

"I'm sorry, Lux. I should have been there for you," Cate said sadly.

"You were there for me. On the radio. No matter where I was, I always listened. And you always told the truth. Other grown-ups, they lie all the time. They say _it'll be OK. You'll have a family some day_. But, you tell the truth," Lux replied.

Cate frowned.


	4. Making Adjustments

Cate tried not to wake Lux as she got ready for work. She kneeled down beside the couch where Lux was fast asleep. She didn't know what to do. Cautiously, she touched Lux's shoulder.

Lux awoke and gazed at Cate sleepily.

"I'm going to work. There's cereal in the kitchen. And here's my cell phone number. If you need anything, just call. Will you be OK?" Cate said.

Lux nodded sleepily. "Wait, how am I getting to school?"

"Right," Cate murmured. "Well, I can, uh, call a cab for this morning and then we'll figure something out."

"It's OK. I don't need to go to school," Lux mumbled.

"Yes, you do," Cate replied firmly. "Wait a minute, why weren't you in school yesterday? You and your friend?"

Lux rolled her eyes. "Cate, no offense, but I've been without a mom for thirteen years. I don't need one now."

Cate made a face. "I'm calling a cab to pick you up and I'll leave money on the table. And I'll pick you up."

"Wait a minute, what school do you go to?" Cate realized she didn't know where to pick Lux up.

"Seriously?" Lux snickered. "Longfellow."

Lux had the cab driver drop her off by the coffee shop her friends usually hung out at. She found Tasha, Gavin and Bug easily.

"What happened? We were watching TV and then you were just gone. Did that couple change their mind?" Tasha asked.

"No, it wasn't them. It was Cate," Lux replied.

"No way? Cate Cassidy?" Tasha smirked. "I thought it was weird that she paid for the shirt and drove us home. What's it like living with your idol?"

Bug and Gavin looked up, interested. "Cate Cassidy? She's got to be loaded from the radio show and appearances," Gavin concluded.

"Gavin," Lux said reproachfully. "She's actually my birth mom. She realized it yesterday because of my birthday and stuff."

"So what? She thinks she can just give you away and then come back like nothing happened?" Bug demanded angrily.

Lux shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't want this. It just happened. You know how it works. If someone wants you, you have to go."

"But, you don't want this?" Bug asked.

"No," Lux lied, not meeting his eyes.

"It's not like it'll last," Tasha said.

Lux stared at her, eyes wide.

"I mean, you'll screw up once, and she'll change her mind. And you'll be back with us." Tasha smiled.

"It's not like that. This is different. She's my mom. She wouldn't just change her mind," Lux argued.

Bug raised his eyebrows. "No? She gave you away once. What makes you think she won't do it again?"

"I don't know," Lux said sadly.

"You don't need her. You have us," Bug said, wrapping his arms around her.

Bug was so sweet. They'd been going out for a few months now. Lux lost track of time hanging out with her friends. "Crap!" She blurted out.

"What?" Bug looked at her curiously.

"It's three o'clock! Cate's picking me up from school. It'd probably be good if I was actually at school," Lux muttered, gathering her stuff.

"I'll take you," Bug offered. "It'll be faster."

"Hello?" Cate answered the phone.

"Cate, this is Fern," Fern spoke into the receiver. "Is everything OK with Lux?"

"Yes. Everything's great," Cate said quickly.

"Really? That's funny because her school called and said she's not in class." Fern didn't sound happy.

"I kept her home for today. I'm sorry. I forgot to call the school," Cate lied, not wanting to get in trouble.

"OK. Remember, Cate, this is a temporary situation with Lux. If it doesn't work out, we'll have to make alternate arrangements," Fern warned.

"It'll definitely work out," Cate said brightly.

Cate went home after the show to see if Lux was there. Maybe the cab hadn't shown up or something. But, there was no sign of Lux.

She followed the directions she'd printed out and pulled up to Longfellow. It wasn't in a good area. Cate parked in front and decided to wait. Hopefully Lux would show up. She didn't really know where else to look for her.

The bell rang at three o'clock and students flooded out of the building. Cate frowned. Many of them looked better equipped for prison than junior high. She would have to look into transferring Lux to a better school.

The engine of a motorbike attracted Cate's attention. She stared as Lux hopped off the back. Lux scanned the parking lot and spotted Cate's car. She hurried over and jumped in.

"Why weren't you in school? What were you doing on the back of a motorbike? And who is that?" Cate demanded.

"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?" Lux said sarcastically.

Cate frowned. "Fern called. To tell me you weren't in school."

"Fern has a lot of extra time on her hands," Lux retorted.

"I could lose custody of you if this doesn't work out," Cate said, giving Lux a hard look. "I figured out my schedule. Ryan's going to cover for me so I can drop you off. And I'm going to look into switching you to Westmonte, my old school. I don't like the looks of this place."

"What? You can't just take me out of my school," Lux protested.

"Yes, I can. I have connections. Plus we live in the district," Cate replied.

"I meant without asking me," Lux mumbled. "I don't want to switch schools. I like my old school. All of my friends are there."

"Well, apparently you don't like it enough to actually go," Cate shot back. "And you'll make new friends."

"I like my old friends," Lux muttered.

"Speaking of which, who was that guy you were with?" Cate tried again.

"A friend," Lux said shortly.

"Just a friend? You can tell me if you like him," Cate pressed.

Lux rolled her eyes.


	5. Meet Bug

Lux had been mad since Cate mentioned switching schools. Cate knew teens were moody, but she hadn't expected Lux to hate her so fast.

They ordered pizza and ate in silence.

They both looked up when they heard a key turn in the door. "Hey, babe." Ryan let himself in. "I know you said you were busy tonight, but I missed you. And, before you say anything, I come bearing gifts." Ryan held up a bag of take out from their favorite Italian food.

"Uh, Ryan, I didn't know you were coming. Now's not really a good time," Cate called out from the kitchen. She hadn't told him about Lux yet.

"What? Do you have another guy in there?" Ryan joked.

"You're with Ryan?" Lux's eyes widened. "No way! You guys are great together."

"Hi," Ryan said good-naturedly as he stepped into the kitchen as saw Lux. He looked at Cate curiously.

"Oh my gosh, I love you!" Lux gushed excitedly. "I listen to your show every day."

Ryan smiled. "I'm always happy to meet a fan. How do you know Cate?"

Lux glanced at Cate. "I'm just gonna go in the other room and…not be here."

* * *

"Maybe you should sit down," Cate said after Lux left.

Ryan looked concerned. "Whatever it is, just tell me. I've known something was going on for the last few days."

"Ryan, there's a lot of things about me you don't know. One of them is that I was pregnant in high school," Cate began.

"Cate, is that your daughter?" Ryan asked quietly.

Cate nodded miserably. "I didn't know how to tell you. I'll understand if you want to break up."

"Wow. I love you, Cate. There's not anything you could tell me that would change that. But, we've only been going out for a little while and a kid is just….a lot," Ryan trailed off.

"I know," Cate replied.

"What happened?" Ryan asked after a moment. "She hasn't been living here. Unless you've been hiding her somewhere when we come back to your place."

"No, I haven't been hiding her." Cate tossed her napkin at him. "I met her the other day when I was shopping. She recognized me from the show. She wanted to take a picture with me. When we were talking, I realized she could be my daughter. I offered to give her a ride and dropped her off at this girl's home. I made some calls and found out she was never adopted. She's been in and out of foster homes her whole life. I should have checked on her."

"You couldn't have known." Ryan put his arms around Cate reassuringly. "And what you're doing now is amazing."

"Really?" Cate asked, doubtful.

"Yes, Cate. You're amazing," Ryan murmured. "Not everyone would take a kid they had at sixteen in without thinking twice. Lux is really lucky to have you as a mom."

"Tell her that," Cate said. "She already hates me. Everything I've done has been wrong."

"What did you do?" Ryan laughed. "Don't tell me you cooked for her."

Cate scowled. "No, I haven't cooked for her. I told her I was enrolling in her in my old school. Her school is full of criminals and gang members. You should have seen it, Ry."

"You're doing the right thing, Cate. Lux will get over it." Ryan rubbed her back comfortingly.

* * *

"I don't want to go to Westmonte," Lux pouted when they pulled up to Westmonte Junior High the following morning.

Cate sighed. "Lux, I know it's scary to start a new school."

Lux slammed the door behind her.

"Have a good day," Cate muttered under her breath. She watched to make sure Lux actually made it into the building and then headed to work.

* * *

"Thanks for covering for me," Cate whispered, as she slipped back into her chair.

Ryan grinned. "Cate drank too much last night and has been in the bathroom for the last twenty minutes. Really, Cate, drinking on a weekday. You should be ashamed."

Cate glared at him. "I don't usually drink that much, but it was the only thing that got me through my date. You know how it is, ladies, when you're on an awkward first date and there is nothing to talk about and you can tell it's not going anywhere, but you're stuck there for hours."

When they went to commercial Ryan asked, "How is Lux?"

Cate rolled her eyes. "She's still mad at me. But, she's actually at school today, which is more than I can say for yesterday."

* * *

Cate pulled up to Westmonte at three o'clock to pick Lux up. She heard the engine of a motorbike and watched as Lux emerged from the building and headed for the bike. "No, this is not happening." Cate jumped out of the car.

"Hey, get your hands off her!" Cate said as she approached Lux, who was kissing Bug.

"Let me guess. Cate?" Bug rolled his eyes.

Lux nodded. "Cate, this is Bug."

"Bug?" Cate snickered, her eyes grazing the leather jacket and biker boots. "It's nice to meet you, Bug. Lux and I have to be going now."

"Cate, Bug's picking me up. We're going to hang out for awhile," Lux protested.

"No." Cate shook her head. "We're going home. We're going to have dinner together for your first day at Westmonte."

"I don't get to see my friends during school anymore," Lux said pointedly. "And now that I'm living across town, I'll never get to see them. Bug drove all the way over here so we could hang out."

"Come on," Cate said firmly, ignoring Lux's protests. She grabbed Lux's arm and pulled her toward the car.

* * *

"So, Bug, is he your boyfriend?" Cate asked as they drove home.

"Yes! He's my boyfriend," Lux admitted.

Cate pursed her lips. Lux was only fourteen. She wasn't supposed to be making out with boys yet. "I don't want you to hang out with him when I'm not around. And I don't want you riding on his motorbike anymore."

"Cate, I've been on my own since, well, always. I can take care of myself. I don't need you telling me what to do all the time," Lux said angrily.

"I know you feel like you know everything, but you don't, Lux. You're only fourteen," Cate said softly.

Lux rolled her eyes. "And you've only been my mom for two days. You can't just tell me what to do."

Cate swallowed, fighting back tears. "I know I haven't been there for you in the past, but I'm here now."

"Lucky me," Lux muttered.

* * *

"Lux? What do you want for dinner?" Cate called from the kitchen. Lux had been giving her the silent treatment since they got home.

"I'm not hungry," Lux retorted.

Cate sighed. She sat down next to Lux on the couch. "What did I do that was so bad? Get you into a good school?"

Lux glared at Cate. She crossed her arms in front of her defiantly. "I've spent my life with people who didn't want me and didn't care what I wanted. I thought if I ever had parents, they actually would. But, you don't."

"Lux, that's not true," Cate interjected, reaching for Lux.

Lux jerked away. "No? You switched me into a school I didn't want to go to. My boyfriend drove all the way over here to hang out and you didn't even let me hang out with him."

"I promise you that I am only doing what's best for you," Cate said softly.

"You don't know what's best for me," Lux argued. "How could you? You don't even know me."

"I'm getting to know you, Lux. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I'm doing my best," Cate replied.

Lux smiled. She could tell Cate was trying. Even if she was making a ton of mistakes. She'd always dreamed of her parents coming back for her, but she'd never imagined it would actually happen.

Cate returned the smile. "So will you come eat with me? We can get to know each other. You can tell me about yourself."

Lux nodded and followed Cate into the kitchen. "Pizza or Chinese?" Cate asked.

"Pizza," Lux answered immediately.

Cate laughed and handed Lux a plate with a slice of pizza. "How long have you been with Ryan?" Lux wondered.

"Almost a year now." Cate smiled. Ryan had been so great about Lux.

"If you've only been with Ryan for a year, who's my dad?" Lux blurted out.

Cate choked on her glass of wine.

"Or, do you not know?" Lux asked, remembering the many radio shows where Ryan and Cate had discussed Cate's many boyfriends.

Cate made a face. "I know," she said emphatically. "I just, uh, haven't seen your dad since high school."

"Oh," Lux said sadly.

Cate remembered Baze denying he'd slept with her, telling her to _take care of it _and shuddered. Baze had been such a jerk. She didn't want Lux to meet him.

"What's his name?" Lux wondered.

Cate hesitated. "Nate Bazille," she admitted.

"Do I look like him?" Lux asked hopefully.

Cate stared at her.

"I mean, I don't really look like you. I have fair skin and blonde hair," Lux echoed the thoughts Cate had the first time they met.

"You have his eyes. I always loved his eyes," Cate said.

Lux smiled. "How long were you guys together?"

Cate bit her lip. She didn't want to lie to Lux. But, she knew she couldn't admit that she and Baze weren't together. That Lux was the product of a one-night-stand. Especially when Lux had a boyfriend. She'd practically be encouraging Lux to jump his bones. "It felt like a long time."

"Enough about me," Cate changed the subject. "Tell me about Bug."

"Lesson number one. Bug is not a good conversation topic," Lux said dryly.

Cate laughed. "I can't argue with that. How many different foster homes have you been in?"

"Also not a good conversation topic," Lux said coldly.

"Sorry," Cate said quickly.

"It's OK," Lux mumbled.

"Was it really bad?" Cate asked, sadness in her eyes.

"It wasn't the greatest," Lux replied. "But, it could be worse. You were sixteen when you had me. Tasha's mom wasn't. She was just on drugs. She went to court-mandated rehab. Tasha got stuck in foster care."

"What you guys have been through, no one should have to go through that," Cate said softly. She squeezed Lux's shoulder gently.


	6. Revisiting the Past

Lux waited until Cate drove off, then ducked out of school. Bug was waiting a block away. They went back to Cate's.

"What if she comes home?" Bug asked.

"She won't. She's working." Lux pulled him into the living room.

"Not too shabby," Bug said, looking around. He noticed the blankets and pillows on the couch and frowned. "Your bedroom?"

"Yes. I don't think Cate would be thrilled if she knew we were alone in my bedroom." Lux giggled. "She didn't even want me hanging out with you alone."

"So, what? She thinks she can just tell you what to do and you'll do it? 'Cause why? You've been on your own your whole life," Bug snarled.

"I don't know. Maybe because she's my mom," Lux teased lightly.

"For a week," Bug retorted. "What about next week?"

Lux stared at him blankly.

"Look around." Bug gestured to the makeshift bed. "This screams temporary."

"It's only been a week. I'm sure she's going to figure something else out," Lux mumbled.

"It had better be a hell of a lot if it's going to make up for thirteen years," Bug said angrily.

Lux nodded. "I know. She's trying. I know she's trying. But, sometimes I get so mad at her. She wasn't here when I needed her."

Bug grabbed Lux's hand. "We were there. Tasha, Gavin, me. We'll always be there for you."

Lux smiled. "Come here." She kissed him.

* * *

Cate googled _Nate Bazille Portland_. She did not want Lux to meet Baze. But, she couldn't help but wonder where he was after talking about him with Lux.

Baze's Facebook page popped up. Figures, she thought. Most adults have a LinkedIn profile. Baze is probably still acting like he's in college. She looked through pictures of him. He looked drunk in all of them. She wasn't impressed.

She scrolled down to his work info and saw that he worked at Open Bar. She googled _Open Bar Portland_ and got the address.

* * *

Lux pulled away after they kissed. "Bug, do you think I should find my dad?"

Bug made a face. "What?"

"It's just, Cate was telling me about him last night. She said I have his eyes," Lux said softly, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She knew she shouldn't want to know the people who didn't want her, but she couldn't help it.

"Lux, he didn't want you back then. What makes you think he'll want to know you now?" Bug asked, exasperated.

"Cate did," Lux retorted.

"That remains to be seen. Let me know if she ever gets you a bed," Bug said pointedly.

"I just want to know who they are. It's different for you. Your parents are horrible, but you've always known who they were," Lux explained.

"Lux, grown-ups are horrible. You can't count on them for anything. I'd be better off if I'd never known my parents," Bug replied.

Lux ignored him. She opened Cate's laptop and keyed in _Nate Bazille_. "He owns a bar," Lux said excitedly.

Bug grinned. "On second thought, maybe he's actually chill. You think your new dad would serve us?"

"If we hurry, we can stop by the bar before school gets out," Lux said, looking at Bug hopefully.

Bug tipped her chin up so she met his gaze. "We can go if you want. But, I don't want you to get your hopes up."

Lux smiled. "No problem."

* * *

Lux and Bug entered the bar and sat down at a high top table. Lux looked around. They were the only ones there.

"Aren't you a little young to be in a bar by yourself?" Baze teased, as he approached their table.

"No, man, we're in college. We just got done with midterms. I could really use a beer," Bug replied.

"Yeah, well, I'll need to see your ID," Baze said.

Lux stared at the bartender. She had his eyes. It couldn't be. She hadn't expected her dad to wait on them. "Excuse me, are you Nate Bazille?" She asked quietly.

Bug shot her a warning look.

"Yes, can I help you?" Baze turned to her expectantly.

* * *

Cate parked down the street from Open Bar. She was just going to go in and check it out. She'd feel less guilty once she knew he was just as immature as he'd always been.

Cate stopped when she spotted a motorbike parked right in front of the bar. It couldn't be. Lux was in school. She'd watched Lux walk into the building.

Her cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Yes, this is she. She's not?" Cate sighed. "OK, thank you for letting me know."

Cate burst into Open Bar and found Lux and Bug chatting with Baze. This was the opposite of what she wanted. She hoped Lux hadn't told Baze who she was yet.

Baze looked up. Normally the bar was empty on weekday afternoons. Truth be told, normally the bar was empty a lot. He wasn't the best businessman, as his father constantly reminded him.

"Cate Cassidy?" Baze asked. "Blast from the past."

"This isn't going to be good," Lux whispered to Bug.

Cate made her way toward Lux, trying to figure out what she'd missed. Baze didn't look horrified, so she was guessing Lux had told him he was a dad yet. She glared at Lux and Lux shrank back.

"Hi, Baze," Cate said. "Long time no see."

"We'll be going now," Bug said, leading Lux toward the door.

"Hold it." Cate grabbed Lux's arm.

"Cate, what are you doing?" Baze asked, giving her a weird look.

Lux looked pleadingly at Cate.

"I'm sorry," Baze said to Lux. "She's a little crazy. Cate, let go of the kid," he muttered.

Cate rolled her eyes. "That would be _my _kid," she snapped.

"Your kid?" Baze's eyes widened. "That's not…she's not…our kid?"

Cate put her arm around Lux protectively. "Yes, this is Lux, your daughter."

Baze stared at her. Then he glanced at Bug. "Twins?"

"No!" Cate and Lux said at the same time.

"That is her boyfriend," Cate said, disgust dripping from her voice.

"Nice to see you again, too." Bug smirked.

"Hey boyfriend? Let me get this straight, you had our kid without telling me and let her run around with some punk and hang out in bars?" Baze demanded.

"Oh, that's rich. I told you I was pregnant and you denied sleeping with me!" Cate cried out angrily.

"You said you guys were dating," Lux interrupted.

Cate and Baze glanced at her. "That's good, Cate. Lying to our daughter. No, we weren't dating, kiddo. I was the quarterback and she was a bookworm." Baze laughed.

Cate glared at him. She hated that being rejected by Baze still hurt after all these years.

"What? It's true!" Baze said.

"So you lied to me," Lux accused.

"Lux, it's complicated," Cate said soothingly.

"Whatever," Lux muttered. "I should have known better that to trust you." She grabbed Bug's hand and they took off.

* * *

"Look what you did!" Cate accused.

"Oh, look what I did? That's funny, Cate. She left because you lied to her. She was perfectly happy before you showed up," Baze shot back.

"She was perfectly happy before you entered the picture," Cate argued. "I've had her for a week and she's been fine."

"You've had her for a week? Who had her for the last thirteen years?" Baze asked.

"I gave her up for adoption," Cate said. "I just got her back. And now she's gone. Because of you."

"So, she, what, didn't want to live with her adoptive parents anymore?" Baze wondered.

Cate shook her head. "She was never adopted. She's been in and out of foster homes and group homes her whole life."

Baze swallowed hard. This was a lot to take in. He didn't even know Cate had the baby and now he knew his daughter hadn't had a family for the last thirteen years. "We'll find her."

"No, _we_ won't do anything. _I'll_ find her. You can stay here and stay out of our lives," Cate retorted.

"Hey, she's my daughter, too," Baze protested. "From what I saw, she takes after me."

Cate glared at him.

"What?" He laughed. "I don't remember you ditching school, dating, hanging out at bars."

"You must be so proud," Cate muttered. "I can't deal with you right now. I'm going to find _my_ daughter."

Baze grabbed his jacket. "Wait up. I'm going with you."

Despite Cate's protests, Baze jumped into the passenger seat of her Toyota Prius. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know," Cate admitted. They drove around for over an hour and couldn't find Lux. Cate didn't want to call anyone, remembering Fern's warning.

"She'll probably go home eventually. She just needs to cool off," Baze said reassuringly.

Cate smiled. "You think?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

She pulled up at the bar. "What are we doing here?" He asked.

"_You're_ going home," Cate said pointedly.

"Uh-uh. I'm not going anywhere until what's-her-face turns up." Baze shook his head.

"You are unbelievable!" Cate punched him in the shoulder.

Baze laughed. "Are you gonna tell me her name or what?"

"Lux." Cate rolled her eyes.

"How did you choose that?" Baze made a face.

"I didn't," Cate replied. She pulled up to her house. "This is it."

* * *

"Lux?" Cate called anxiously as she opened the door.

No answer.

"Nice house," Baze commented. He sat down on the couch, moving Lux's pillow and blanket aside. "Is she sleeping on the couch?"

"For now. I want to fix the attic up for her." Cate gestured toward the attic.

"Can I?" Baze nodded toward the attic.

Cate smiled.

Baze pulled down the stairs and they climbed up together. "My boyfriend's painting it this weekend. I'm going to take Lux shopping for furniture."

"Your boyfriend?" Baze asked, surprised. "You know, I can help you fix it up."

Cate looked surprised. "Really?"

"Of course. She's my daughter, too," Baze said simply.

"Do you want to be in her life?" Cate asked seriously.

"She seemed chill," Baze replied.

"You need to take this seriously." Cate frowned. "If you want to be in her life, you can't…"

"I can't what, Cate?" Baze demanded.

"Be you," Cate said softly. Her gaze skimmed over his T-shirt, which said _It's always better on top_, his jeans, which had holes in them, and his tennis shoes. He looked every inch the immature Frat boy.

"Hey, I take offense to that. I'm just as qualified to be in her life as you," Baze retorted. "I'm a business owner."

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" Cate raised her eyebrows questioningly. "You own a bar. You wear a T-shirt and jeans to work."

"You're just jealous." Baze smirked. "My job's more fun than yours. Though I'm sure you love talking for hours at end. You always did love the sound of your own voice."

* * *

Bug and Lux drove back toward Sunnyvale. They stopped at their hang out, the coffee shop. "Are you OK?" Bug asked gently.

"Yeah," Lux lied. "It's like you said, you can't trust grown-ups."

"That's for sure," Bug muttered. "I'm sorry. I tried to warn you. I knew they were just going to hurt you."

"I know." Lux said. "I know. I just wanted to know them."

"Now you do. Maybe that's all this was supposed to be," Bug said simply.

"What do you mean?" Lux looked up at him.

"I mean, you don't need this. Cate telling you what to do all the time. Lying to you. Trying to stop us from being together," Bug grumbled.

"I don't exactly have a choice. Unless Cate changes her mind, I'm stuck with her," Lux said, not wanting to admit she wanted to be with Cate.

"So make her change her mind." Bug grinned.

"What?" Lux asked. "No, I can't do that."

"Why not? You've done it before. Just screw up once," Bug urged.

"I keep telling you, this is different. She's my mom. She's not just going to change her mind," Lux argued.

"You don't know until you try," Bug pressed.

"I have," Lux said.

Bug looked unconvinced.

"I ditched school," Lux pointed out.

"So try harder. Get caught shoplifting," Bug suggested. "It's not like you and Tasha have never done that before."

"I guess," Lux mumbled, looking down at the ground.

"I know part of you wants to believe Cate really wants you. So this can be a test. If you shoplift and she doesn't change her mind, maybe you're right. If she doesn't, you'll know before you get too attached," Bug tried again.

"Too attached? She's my mom," Lux muttered.

"Like that means something?" Bug asked. "It didn't when she had you. It didn't for my mom. For Tasha's."

Lux nodded, knowing he was right. She did want Cate to want her, but she also wanted to know the truth. If Cate didn't want her, it would be better to find out sooner than later. "I'll do it."

"That's my girl," Bug said. "Now what? Do you want me to take you back to her place?"

"Yeah," Lux replied.

* * *

Lux opened the door cautiously. The lights were off. She didn't see Cate anywhere. She crept over to the couch quietly. She sat down and someone groaned. Lux screamed and jumped up.

Baze rubbed his eyes sleepily. He'd refused to leave until Lux had come home, and he'd fallen asleep on the couch. "What are you trying to do, wake the dead?" Baze grumbled.

"Nate?" Lux asked.

"Baze," Baze corrected.

"What are you doing here?" Lux asked.

Cate couldn't sleep. She was so worried about Lux. She heard Lux's scream and raced to the living room. "What's going on? Where have you been? Are you OK?"

Lux sat down next to Baze on the couch. "I'm fine. I just needed to think about things."

"We drove around looking for you for hours. I was going to call the police, hospitals," Cate said. "I was so worried."

"Sorry," Lux mumbled.

"She totally takes after me," Baze broke in. "You never stayed out all night."

Cate glared at Baze.

"Why is he here?" Lux asked.

"He wanted to make sure you were OK," Cate said.

"He can speak for himself," Baze snapped at Cate. "I want to be in your life," he said to Lux. "We can, you know, hang out."

Cate rolled her eyes. "What are you, twelve and asking her out?"

Lux raised her eyebrows. "Hey, guys, high school is over. Act like it."

Cate looked down, embarrassed because Lux was right, they were acting immature.

"You're not even in high school," Baze shot back. "Thirteen's a little young to be driving around on the back of a motorbike with some guy."

"Oh, I see you found one thing you agree on," Lux said dryly. "What is it with you guys and Bug's bike? I wear a helmet."

Cate sighed. "Do you know how dangerous bikes are?"

"That's kinda why I wear a helmet," Lux retorted.

"We will talk about this later. You need to get ready for school. You've already missed three times this week," Cate said.

* * *

"No, no, no." Cate smiled, when Lux prepared to jump out of the car. "Today I'm walking you in so you actually make it into the classroom."

Lux sighed.

Cate parked and they walked in together. Bad memories swam to the surface as Cate saw the familiar hallway.

"Have a good day." Cate smirked, as she watched Lux head for a desk in the back of the class.


	7. Testing the Water

Things had gone well for the rest of the week. Bug hadn't come by. Cate had learned to make sure Lux actually made it into her classroom. And, they hadn't had any more fights.

Cate was amazed how quickly she'd come to feel protective over Lux. "See you later," Lux said, heading toward the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Cate asked.

"Shopping with Tasha," Lux replied. She was still getting used to someone wanting to know where she was going all the time.

Cate hesitated. "Do you need a ride or anything?"

"No thanks," Lux said over her shoulder.

"At least she told you where she was going." Ryan smirked. "That's an improvement."

"I don't letting her leave," Cate admitted. "I guess I'm afraid she won't come back. I can't lose her again."

"She'll come back." Ryan laughed. "Especially once she sees her new room. What color am I painting it?"

Cate grabbed the paint and led Ryan up the attic stairs to show him what she wanted done. "Do you think she'll like it?" Cate asked excitedly.

"I think she'll love it." Ryan smiled.

* * *

Cate drove to the mall, excited to buy furniture for Lux. She hoped Lux liked what she chose.

After she bought furniture, Cate decided to stop by the boutique she'd met Lux in. She wanted to buy her some new clothes, too.

As she approached the boutique, she heard Lux's voice. "Go ahead. Call the police."

Cate rushed in and saw Lux and Tasha talking to the same salesperson from last time. "No, don't call the police!" Cate cried out.

Lux looked up. "Cate, what are you doing here?"

Cate glared at her daughter. Why would Lux steal? Cate would have bought her anything she'd wanted.

She smiled at the salesperson. "I'm sorry. I'd be happy to pay for whatever she took."

The salesperson frowned. "No, this is the second time this has happened. I think I'd better call the police."

"No," Cate pleaded. "I can promise you that this will not happen again. Please give her another chance."

"I won't call the police this time, but you are not welcome in this store anymore." The salesperson glared at Lux.

Cate paid for the dress Lux had stolen and they left the store together, Cate's hand on Lux's back, steering her toward the parking lot.

Lux didn't fight Cate. She was anxious to see her reaction. Would she tell Lux this wasn't working, like Bug thought?

Cate didn't say anything until after they were in the car. "I don't understand. Why would you even steal that dress? I would have gotten it for you if you'd asked."

Lux swallowed. "I don't know," she lied. She couldn't tell Cate stealing the dress was a test.

Cate stared at Lux. "You don't know? Do you realize what would have happened if she'd called the police?"

"Yeah," Lux replied.

"I don't think you do, Lux. If she'd called the police and Social Services had found out, you would be taken away from me. I only have temporary custody of you. If you keep ditching school and stealing, Fern's going to take you away," Cate explained.

Lux breathed in a sigh of relief. She'd expected Cate to yell at her. She'd feared Cate would kick her out. But, she had hoped Cate would still want her despite Bug's warnings.

Cate watched Lux's reaction and noticed her relief. She fought back tears. "Is that what you want, Lux? Do you want to be taken away?"

"No!" Lux said quickly, seeing the hurt in Cate's eyes. "I want to be with you, Cate."

"Really? Because it doesn't really seem like it," Cate said quietly.

"I want to be with you, Cate," Lux repeated.

Cate looked unconvinced.

"Bug and Tasha, they didn't think you really wanted me," Lux blurted out, wanting to make Cate feel better. "They said I wouldn't be sleeping on the couch unless it was temporary."

Cate made a face. "Lux, Ryan's fixing the attic up for you right now. The couch is temporary. _You_ aren't going anywhere. Not unless you want to."

"Really?" Lux asked hopefully.

Cate nodded. "That's why I was at the mall. I bought furniture for your bedroom. I was going to get you some new clothes, but you beat me to it."

"Stealing was a test, Cate. Bug and Tasha said you would change your mind about taking me in if I messed up," Lux explained, wanting to make sure Cate knew she really wanted to be with her. "I just needed to know if you really wanted me."

"Lux, I'm not changing my mind," Cate said firmly. "You've messed up more than once and I'm not changing my mind. But Fern _will_ change her mind about letting me keep you if you keep getting into trouble."

"I won't," Lux promised.

"No more stealing? No more ditching school? No more Bug?" Cate pressed.

Lux frowned. "I won't ditch or steal anymore. But, you can't stop me from being with Bug."

Cate sighed. "He's the reason you decided it would be a good idea to steal."

"It's not his fault," Lux argued. "It's mine."

Cate looked unconvinced.

* * *

Cate and Lux found Baze and Ryan painting in the attic. Cate was surprised Baze had actually shown up. He and Ryan seemed to be getting along.

"What is this music?" Lux made a face.

"This is Starship. The greatest band ever," Baze replied.

Lux rolled her eyes.

Baze dipped the paintbrush in paint and painted Lux's nose.

"Hey!" She cried out, laughing.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Baze teased.

"You'll have to wait and find out," Lux retorted. "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Cate smiled. She hated to admit it, but they were kind of cute together. Ryan put his arm around her.

* * *

"Do you like it?" Cate asked nervously, as she showed Lux her room.

"I love it!" Lux smiled happily.

Lux sat down on her new bed. Cate sat beside her. "Lux, I want you to know, I'm not going to change my mind about taking you in. There's nothing you could do that would change my mind."

Lux smiled.

"Please don't test that," Cate added.

Lux grinned. "Cate, I want to be here with you. I'm really sorry I made you question that. I promise I'm done testing you."

Cate hugged Lux close.

"And Bug, he's not so bad," Lux continued.

Cate frowned.

"I promise. You might even like him once you get to know him," Lux promised.

"If you say so," Cate said after a moment, hoping Lux would break up with Bug before she got to know him.


	8. Sharing the Love

"What are you doing here?" Cate asked when she opened the door.

"Nice to see you too," Baze said sarcastically.

Baze entered the foyer uninvited. "Lux? Want to hang out?" Baze called out before Cate could stop him.

Cate made a face. "It's a school night."

"It's junior high, Cate, not rocket science," Baze retorted.

Lux hurried down the attic stairs. "Yes!"

Cate frowned helplessly, as Lux and Baze jumped in his Jeep.

* * *

"This is awesome!" Lux said, checking out Baze's loft. Her eyes lit up when she saw the air hockey table. "I love air hockey!"

Baze grinned. "Want to play?"

Lux laughed as she beat Baze at air hockey. "What's it feel like?"

Baze stared at her blankly.

"To be beat by a girl!" She taunted.

"_Beat by a girl_," Baze repeated incredulously. "I hate to break it to you, but I let you win."

Lux shook her head. "No, you just don't want to admit you can't compete with my mad skills."

"I thought that's what dads were supposed to do." Baze shrugged.

"Oh, then you'll have no problem winning the next game?" Lux challenged.

"You're going down," Baze replied good-naturedly.

Lux quickly scored a point before Baze was ready.

"You play dirty," Baze scolded playfully.

"I do whatever it takes to win," Lux retorted.

"In that case, you better start looking for another opponent," Baze shot back as he scored a point.

"Nah, I like this opponent." Lux smiled up at him.

Baze grinned, surprised at how easy they'd developed a relationship. "Flattery will get you nowhere. I'm still gonna kick your butt."

Baze won and Lux promptly demanded a tiebreaker.

Lux laughed joyously when she won. "Not so cocky now," she teased.

"Someone's a bad sport," Baze retorted. He followed Lux's gaze to the couch, where Jaime and Math were playing Wii and grinned. "Now that I can definitely win."

"Wanna bet?" Lux shot back, as they joined the guys on the couch.

Baze only had two controllers, so the four of them took turns playing MarioKart. "It's your turn." Baze nodded to Lux.

When she didn't respond, he turned to her and realized she'd fallen asleep. He glanced at the clock. _12:19_. He texted Cate-_Lux fell sleep. She can crash here._

He hesitated, unsure what to do. He finally covered Lux with a blanket before going to his own bedroom.

* * *

Cate woke up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She glanced at the clock. It was after midnight. She'd fallen asleep on the couch, waiting for Lux to get home.

Lux had to be home by now. She must have gone to bed without waking Cate up. Cate climbed up the attic stairs to check on Lux.

She panicked when she saw Lax's empty bed. She threw a jacket on and hastily headed for Open Bar to look for Lux.

"Hey." Jaime grinned cockily when Cate entered the bar. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"What? No. Is Baze here?" Cate asked anxiously.

"Yeah, he's upstairs." Jaime pointed toward the stairs.

Cate hurried up the stairs. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Lux sleeping peacefully on the couch.

Cate found Baze in his room sleeping and turned the lights on.

Baze cringed. "Is it morning already?"

"No, it's in the middle of the night. Why is Lux still here?" Cate demanded angrily.

Baze looked at Cate as though she'd lost her mind. "Didn't you get my text?"

Cate hadn't even looked at her phone. She glanced down. "Seriously?" She said, still angry. "You can't just decide Lux is crashing here and let me know by a text message…" Cate looked at the time and shot him an exasperated look. "You sent after midnight."

"You knew she was with me," Baze said, confused.

"And that's supposed to make me less worried? I'm sorry. Have you met you?" Cate shot back.

"I'm her dad," Baze protested.

"She can't stay here," Cate said firmly.

"What?" Baze made a face.

"You live above a bar!" Cate pointed out.

"Yeah, above a bar, Cate, not in a bar." Baze shook his head. "I have just as much a right to her as you do."

Cate smirked. "No, _I_ have legal custody. She can't stay here."

"Are you serious right now?" Baze frowned in disbelief.

"What's going on?" Lux appeared in the doorway.

"Hey," Cate said gently. "Let's go home."

"See you later, Kiddo," Baze said pointedly, looking at Cate meaningfully.

* * *

**Author Note: In the next chapter, Lux is going to get busted doing something she's not supposed to do. I'm having a hard time deciding if Cate or Baze should be the one to catch her. I kind of want Baze to be the bad guy since in the real show Cate always had to be, but I can't decide. Any opinions? Let me know in the reviews please!**


	9. Family Ties

Baze emerged from his bedroom later than usual, yawning.

"You look like hell," Math commented.

"That's what happens when some crazy woman shows up in the middle of the night screaming at you," Baze vented.

"Was it Anna?" Jaime asked, referring to one of Baze's many ex-girlfriends. "'Cause she _was_ crazy. She was practically stalking you after you kicked her to the curb."

"Worse," Baze muttered. "It was Cate, Lux's mom. She flipped out on me and said Lux can't stay here."

"Cate's not crazy," Math said defensively.

"Dude, whose side are you on? She told me my kid can't stay here!" Baze said angrily.

"That's not cool," Jaime said supportively. "You need to show her that you're not gonna let her call all the shots, make sure she knows Lux is your kid, too."

"Yeah, but she has custody. I don't," Baze pointed out.

"So, are you gonna sit on your butt or are you gonna do something about it?" Jaime asked.

Baze looked at him uncertainly.

"File for custody. Show her that you're not gonna take this lying down," Jaime suggested.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Math said, frowning.

Both Baze and Jaime ignored Math.

"Yeah, that'll show her," Baze replied to Jaime.

"Why don't you talk to her and try to work something out first?" Math said loudly.

"Like that'll do any good," Baze retorted, rolling his eyes.

It took a great deal of effort, but Math convinced him to try talking to Cate first.

Baze dialed Cate's number.

* * *

"You're listening to Morning Madness with Cate and Ryan. I'm Cate," Cate said into the microphone, glancing down at caller ID.

"And I'm Ryan," Ryan continued. "We're talking about exes this morning."

"I'm working!" Cate hissed into her cell phone, her hand covering her microphone. She hung up on Baze without waiting for a reply.

"Everyone has them. What can you do about them?" Cate chimed in on the subject of exes, speaking into the microphone.

"If you have a good story about an old flame getting in the middle of your current love life, we want to hear," Ryan said.

Baze looked at his phone in disgust. "She hung up on me. Can you believe that?"

Jaime looked insulted. "You need to go over to the radio station and _make_ her talk to you."

Math rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'll do that," Baze said, fuming.

* * *

"What's he doing here?" Cate asked, looking up and noticing Baze in the lobby of the radio station.

She jumped up and confronted Baze. "What part of I'm working do you not understand?"

"We need to talk about Lux," Baze said firmly.

Ryan cut to a commercial break and joined them, concerned. "Is Lux OK?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Cate replied to Baze.

"Did I miss something?" Ryan asked, confused.

"Just your girlfriend telling me my kid can't stay at my place because _she_ has custody," Baze said angrily.

"Yeah, because I'm legally responsible for her! You're just irresponsible," Cate shot back.

"And you're impossible. I knew there was no point trying to talk to you. I'm going to talk to Lux's social worker about filing for custody," Baze said furiously.

"Hold on," Ryan cut Baze off, holding his hands up. "That's not necessary." He turned to Cate. "Don't you think Lux deserves to have both her parents in her life?"

"Finally, the voice of reason." Baze nodded gratefully at Ryan.

Cate hesitated. "I guess."

* * *

Cate glared at Ryan when they returned to their seats. "Thanks for your support back there."

"Let me ask you something. Why do you really want not want Lux staying with Baze?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know. Maybe because he lives above a bar," Cate said sarcastically.

Ryan studied her. "Maybe, but maybe it's more than that. You've had Lux to yourself for awhile now. I think maybe you're not used to sharing her with anyone."

"But we don't get to choose our families. And, _you_ don't get to choose Lux's family," Ryan continued. "Baze is a part of her family. Whether you like it or not."

Cate nodded, knowing Ryan was right. "Why couldn't I have slept with you in high school? You'd be a great dad." She thought of Baze staying up all night playing video games. "Baze needs a dad."

"I'm not her dad, but I care about Lux and I'll be here for her," Ryan replied.

Cate smiled appreciatively.


	10. Everyone Makes Mistakes

"Wow! You look pretty," Lux said when Cate emerged from the bathroom.

Cate was wearing a black halter dress and black stilettos. She had heavier make-up than usual on. "Thanks." Cate smiled, fumbling with her earrings.

"I second that," Ryan chimed in. He jumped up from the couch and helped Cate with her leather jacket. He placed his hand on lower back and guided her gently toward the door.

"You guys are so perfect together," Lux said, watching them. "Is it hard to pretend you're not dating on the show?"

"You have no idea," Ryan replied, laughing.

Cate cast a glance backward over her shoulder. "We're going to Drink a Date. We won't be back until late. There's leftover pizza in the fridge. Call my cell if you need anything."

Lux waved her off. "I'll be fine. Have fun!"

No sooner had the door slammed behind them than Cate reappeared. "Lux!"

"What?" Lux asked innocently.

"Lock the door behind me," Cate said.

"OK, OK. You know, I have been left home alone before, Cate. I'm fourteen, not four." Lux smirked.

Cate rolled her eyes. "And don't answer the door."

"Yeah, yeah," Lux mumbled.

Ryan laughed when Cate finally got in the car. "Did you remember to leave her the number for 9-1-1?"

Cate punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You're just as bad as Lux."

* * *

Lux grabbed the phone and called Bug. "She's gone."

"See you soon," Bug replied.

He'd been complaining that he never got to see her anymore now that she was at a different school and living so far away. Every time Lux mentioned hanging out with him, Cate made an excuse.

This was the first time Cate was leaving Lux alone, and Lux's first opportunity in over a week to see Bug. She smiled.

Lux remembered how beautiful Cate looked to go out with Ryan. She wandered into the bathroom and rummaged through the drawers. She put a dab of Cate's perfume on her wrists. She was contemplating experimenting with Cate's make-up when she heard the doorbell.

"Hey." Lux grinned when she opened the door.

"Hey yourself." Bug smiled, pulling her in for a kiss.

"I missed you," Lux said when they broke apart. She grabbed his hand and led him over to the couch.

"I see you're not sleeping on the couch anymore," Bug noted.

Lux's eyes lit up. "No, Cate fixed up the attic for me. Want to see?"

Without waiting for an answer, Lux hurried over to the stairs, excited to show off her new room. Bug laughed and followed her.

"Nice," Bug observed, looking around Lux's room before settling on her bed. He patted the spot next to him and Lux joined him. They started making out.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Ryan asked when he found Cate hiding in the hallway by the restrooms. They were hosting Drink a Date in a local bar. Or at least they were supposed to be, but Cate kept disappearing.

"Calling Lux. She's not picking up." Cate frowned.

"You are such a mom," Ryan teased. "She's fine, Cate. She probably fell asleep."

"You think?" Cate didn't look convinced.

Ryan nodded, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"You know, I'm going to call Baze and see if he can go check on her," Cate said.

* * *

Baze rang the doorbell. When there was no answer, he banged on the door. "Lux? Lux!"

No answer.

He dialed Cate. "Yeah, I'm here and Lux isn't answering. Maybe she went out."

"She's fourteen! Where would she go? Clubbing?" Cate said sarcastically.

"Last time I checked, she prefers barhopping," Baze shot back.

"I'm glad you think this is a big joke," Cate said, exasperated.

"At least I don't take everything too seriously," Baze retorted. "She's probably asleep."

"That's what Ryan said," Cate murmured thoughtfully.

"Smart guy, Ryan. Can I go home now?" Baze asked.

"No! There's a spare key under the flower pot," Cate said.

Baze lifted the flower pot up and grabbed the key. "Got it."

* * *

Baze let himself in and looked around awkwardly. No sign of Lux in the living room. He went to the kitchen and helped himself to a slice of pizza. He paused awkwardly at the foot of the attic stairs before heading up.

"What the hell?" Baze said when he walked in on Lux and Bug.

Lux looked up, horrified. "Don't you knock?"

"Oh, God," Baze said, shielding his eyes when he saw that Lux wasn't wearing a shirt.

Lux noticed his gaze and reddened. "Get out!" She yelled as she grabbed her shirt, fumbling with the buttons.

"Me? No way. I'm not going anywhere. Bug's the one that needs to get out before I make him get out," Baze said threateningly.

"Baze!" Lux cried out angrily.

Baze's phone started ringing and he reached into his pocket. "Oh, great. It's Cate. What am I supposed to tell her?"

"What? Don't tell her anything!" Lux replied, racing over.

Baze hesitated.

"Please!" Lux begged.

"Hi Cate," Baze said into the receiver.

Lux looked up at him pleadingly.

"Is Lux there?" Cate asked.

"Yeah, she's here," Baze replied.

"Well, is she OK? Why didn't she answer when I called?" Cate demanded.

"I don't know." He turned to Lux. "Why didn't you answer the phone when Cate called?" He raised his eyebrows. "Other than that your mouth was otherwise occupied."

"I couldn't hear it in the attic," Lux said defensively.

"She couldn't hear it in the attic," Baze said to Cate.

Cate breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Bye," Baze said, hanging up and glaring at Lux.

"Thank you!" Lux threw her arms around Baze's neck, hugging him gratefully. "You're the coolest dad ever."

Baze stepped back. "I'm not that cool," he said meaningfully. "I have to tell Cate. Just not over the phone."

Lux's face fell. "Baze, Cate's not exactly Bug's biggest fan."

"Neither am I," Baze replied, shooting Bug a dirty look.

"You don't even know him," Lux protested.

"I know that I just walked in on him taking advantage of my kid. That's all I need to know," Baze said.

"There was no taking advantage," Bug said angrily.

"He's my boyfriend," Lux reminded Baze, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Yeah, well aren't boyfriends supposed to be scared of their girlfriend's dads?" Baze retorted.

Lux rolled her eyes.

"It's been fun," Bug said sarcastically, moving toward the attic stairs.

Baze did his best to look intimidating as Bug stepped past him. Bug took off in a hurry.

* * *

"What are you even doing here?" Lux asked, following Baze down to the living room.

"Cate asked me to stop by and check on you, and it's a good thing I did," Baze said reproachfully.

"What, she doesn't trust me enough to leave me alone?" Lux complained.

"Looks like she has a good reason not to," Baze said.

"Baze, please don't tell Cate," Lux tried again. "I'll do whatever you want. I'll even let you win at air hockey."

Baze buried his face in his hands, not sure what to do.

"Don't tell me what?" Cate asked. She'd come in through the back door just in time to catch the tail end of their conversation.

Baze looked at Lux helplessly. "That Lux was upstairs with Bug when I got here."

Lux glared at Baze.

"Upstairs? In the attic?" Cate asked.

Lux nodded sheepishly.

"What was Bug doing here? Why were you in the attic?" Cate demanded.

"We were just hanging out," Lux replied quickly, hoping Baze wouldn't say anything else.

"Just hanging out?" Cate said skeptically. She looked at Baze. "Is that true?"

"Uh, only if you change hanging to making," Baze said slowly.

Cate narrowed her eyes at Lux.

"Thanks a lot," Lux said sarcastically to Baze as she pushed past him, heading for the attic.

Baze and Cate followed at her heels.

* * *

Lux spun around to face them, glaring at Baze. "You can't just barge in whenever you want."

Baze winced. "If you keep your clothes on from now on, I won't walk in on anything."

Lux blushed bright red.

"Wait a minute, _if she keeps her clothes on_?" Cate repeated, clearly horrified. "Were her clothes off?"

"They were in various stages of undress," Baze replied.

"How undressed?" Cate demanded, hands on her hips.

"Everything, uh, down South was covered," Baze said awkwardly, looking at the ground.

"You are such a hypocrite!" Lux shouted at Baze. "You got Cate pregnant when you were sixteen and you weren't even together! Bug's sixteen and he's my boyfriend and we were just making out!"

"I don't want you to make the same mistake," Baze mumbled.

"Mistake?" Lux cried out. She ran downstairs, locking herself in the bathroom.

* * *

"That was a poor choice of words," Baze admitted, as he and Cate followed. He knocked on the bathroom door. "Lux?"

"Go away!" Lux yelled.

"Lux, I'm sorry! I didn't mean that the way it sounded," Baze tried again.

"Oh, really? How did you mean it?" Lux demanded.

Baze looked at Cate uncertainly, at a loss for words.

"Maybe you should just go," Cate said quietly.

"No," Baze said defiantly.

"Just give her a chance to cool down," Cate insisted.

"Maybe you're right," Baze admitted, heading for the door.

"Lux?" Cate said gently. "Baze is gone."

Lux opened the door and Cate saw that her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

Cate's heart sank. She reached for Lux. "You know how guys are. They say stupid things. What Baze said was stupid, but he didn't mean it."

Lux sniffled.

Cate pulled back and looked at Lux. "_You_ are _not_ a mistake."

"Maybe you don't think so," Lux said uncertainly, "but Baze does."

"That's not true. Baze doesn't have to be in your life. No one's forcing him to hang out with you. He's doing it because he wants to," Cate replied comfortingly.

Lux smiled, wiping tears from her eyes. She made a move toward the door, intending to go upstairs, but Cate blocked the doorway.

"You know I don't want you hanging out with Bug when I'm not around," Cate said, giving Lux a hard look.

"When you _are_ around you always make up excuses for why we can't hang out," Lux said pointedly.

"That doesn't make it OK for you to sneak around," Cate replied sternly.

"I wouldn't have to sneak around if you'd stop treating me like a little kid," Lux retorted. "I'm fourteen, Cate! I have a boyfriend."

Cate stopped herself from pointing out that Lux was in fact a kid, knowing that wouldn't go over well.

"I have an idea. Why doesn't Bug come over for dinner sometime this week? I'll cook," Cate offered instead.

Lux raised her eyebrows. "Are you trying to poison him?"

Cate laughed. "Or we can order in."

"Yeah," Lux agreed, smiling.


	11. Old Wounds

"What are you doing here?" Cate asked as she let Baze in.

"I thought I'd see if Lux is ready to talk to me," Baze replied. He'd given her a day to cool off.

"She's upstairs," Cate said, nodding toward the attic.

Baze hesitated at the foot of the stairs.

"Bug's not here and she's dressed." Cate smirked.

"Speaking of Bug, did you handle the whole Bug situation?" Baze asked.

"I talked to her about it," Cate said vaguely, not wanting to admit talking hadn't gotten her very far and that Bug was now invited to dinner.

Baze breathed a sigh of relief.

He knocked as he approached Lux's room.

Lux looked up, surprised. Cate didn't usually knock.

She frowned when she saw that it wasn't Cate, but Baze. She believed Cate that Baze didn't really mean what he'd said, but she was still mad that Baze had kicked Bug out and sold her out to Cate.

"Hey, Kiddo, I thought maybe we could go to the arcade," Baze said.

"No, I have homework," Lux replied coldly.

"You must be really mad at me if you'd rather do homework than go to the arcade," Baze said lightly, teasing.

"You should be a detective," Lux retorted.

Baze sat down next to Lux on her bed. "I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it." He reached over to ruffle her hair, but Lux shrugged away.

"Tell me what to do to make it right," Baze said, clearly hurt.

"I don't know," Lux said quietly, not ready to let him off the hook yet.

Baze nodded sadly. "Do me a favor? Let me know when you figure it out."

* * *

"How'd it go with Lux?" Cate asked when Baze emerged from the attic.

"Not good. She doesn't want anything to do with me," Baze mumbled.

"That's not true," Cate said. "The other night when you left and she opened the door, she'd been crying. She wouldn't have been that upset about what you said if she didn't want you to be a part of her life."

Baze nodded miserably. "I don't know what to do."

"Just give her time," Cate said sympathetically.

* * *

"Lux? Dinner's here!" Cate called once Baze had taken off.

Lux accepted a plate Cate had filled with delivery food and sat down at the table.

"What did Baze want?" Cate asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"To apologize." Lux rolled her eyes.

"I take it you didn't accept his apology?" Cate prodded.

"Would you have?" Lux asked.

Cate stared at her blankly.

"If your dad missed the first fourteen years of your life and then called you a mistake, would you forgive him?" Lux demanded.

Cate frowned, knowing that if Lux was angry with Baze for not being there, she probably felt the same way about Cate. "What's this really about, Lux? Are you mad at Baze because of what he said? Or are you mad because he wasn't there for you?"

Lux swallowed hard. She looked down, not wanting to meet Cate's eyes. "Both," she admitted.

Cate sighed. "I know you've been through a lot and I can't tell you how much I wish we were there for you, but you have to know, Baze and I, we're here for you now."

"I know," Lux said quietly. She bit her lip. She wanted to say _but you weren't there when I needed you_, but stopped herself.

"You should forgive Baze and let him be a part of your life," Cate said.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Lux said, excusing herself from the table.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Bug asked when Lux opened the door.

Lux nodded.

"Cate hates me," Bug said uncertainly, as he entered Cate's house.

"It was her idea," Lux insisted.

Bug followed her to the couch. Lux instantly cuddled against him.

"Where is she?" Bug asked nervously.

"She just ran out to pick up food. She'll be back soon," Lux replied.

"And Baze?" Bug asked.

"He's not invited," Lux said coldly.

Bug raised his eyebrows.

"He barged in on us, kicked you out, ratted me out to Cate and then called me a mistake," Lux rattled off Baze's transgressions. "Not exactly my favorite person right now."

Bug made a face. "He called you a mistake?"

Lux nodded.

"What a tool," Bug said. He rested his chin on Lux's head and hugged her tight against him.

"Technically he was referring to getting pregnant as a teenager, not me exactly," Lux admitted.

"Still," Bug said sympathetically, "That had to hurt."

Lux shrugged. "Not exactly earth shattering news. They gave me away. Kinda a dead giveaway that I was a mistake."

"Hi," Cate called out as she entered with takeout.

Bug moved over, so he wasn't next to Lux, and nodded hello.


	12. Best Friends Forever

Dinner was awkward. Bug was obviously uncomfortable around Cate.

Cate tried to make small talk, but it kept backfiring.

"Do you go to Longfellow?" She asked Bug conversationally.

Bug shook his head.

"Bug works," Lux explained.

Cate frowned. "You're not in school?"

Bug shook his head.

_Great, my kid is dating a high school dropout who drives a motorbike_, Cate thought to herself, less than thrilled at the revelation.

They ate in silence for a few minutes until Cate tried to break the ice again. "Where do you work?"

"Here and there," Bug said hesitantly.

Bug and Gavin stole car stereos and sold them. They were saving the money to get their own apartment as soon as they turned eighteen. But, Bug doubted that would impress Cate.

Cate waited for him to expand or Lux to explain, but neither said anything.

"What do your parents do?" Cate asked eventually.

"Cate, can you help me with something? Now!" Lux interrupted, dragging Cate into the next room.

"What's wrong with you? Bug's dad is in jail and Bug's in foster care!" Lux said angrily as soon as they were out of earshot.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Cate said.

"It's OK. Just don't say anything else," Lux replied.

* * *

Lux led Bug up to her bedroom while Cate cleaned up the kitchen. They sat down on her bed.

"I'm sorry. About Cate," Lux said quietly.

Bug shrugged. "I'm not surprised she's less than thrilled you're with a high school dropout with no job and no future."

"You have a future. We have a future. Together," Lux said, looking at Bug.

Bug rested his head on Lux's and smiled. "Don't tell Cate and Baze that."

Cate finished cleaning the kitchen and went out to the living room, expecting to find Bug and Lux there. They weren't there, but Bug's helmet was on the floor by the door.

Cate heard the sound of Lux laughing from the attic and cringed. She hadn't wanted Bug in Lux's room.

She hurried over to the foot of the stairs, listening. She heard muffled voices and then it got quiet.

Cate hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to walk in on, well, anything. But, more importantly, she didn't want them _doing_ anything, she decided.

Cate knocked before stepping into the attic. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Lux's clothes were still intact.

Lux looked at Cate curiously.

"It's getting late and you have school tomorrow," Cate said awkwardly.

"I better go," Bug said, getting the hint.

Lux walked Bug out.

* * *

"Lux, I don't want you and Bug in your room from now on. You guys can hang out in the living room," Cate said when Lux returned.

"We weren't doing anything," Lux protested.

"This time," Cate pointed out.

"That's so unfair," Lux said angrily.

"I'm doing what I think is right," Cate said firmly before changing the subject. "Lux, Tasha and Bug, they're both in foster care. Are all your friends…in foster care?"

Lux nodded.

"Have you made any new friends at Westmonte?" Cate asked hopefully.

Lux rolled her eyes. "I don't want new friends. I like my old friends."

Cate frowned. "It's just…you're at Westmonte now. Hey, why don't you invite some girls from your class to spend the night this weekend?"

"No," Lux said quickly. "Can Tasha spend the night?"

"That's not exactly what I had in mind," Cate replied.

"What did you have in mind, Cate?" Lux demanded.

Cate stared at Lux blankly.

"Did you want me to invite people I have nothing in common with over? People who couldn't possibly understand what my life has been like? Girls whose main concern is…I don't know, what's happening on Gossip Girl?" Lux said angrily.

"Is that so bad?" Cate asked. Was she a bad person for wanting Lux to make friends who didn't steal and drop out of school?

"Yeah," Lux replied. "Tasha has always been there for me. She knows about everything. No one at Westmonte knows. And I don't want them to."

"Knows what, Lux?" Cate prodded.

"That my parents didn't want me! That I was in and out of foster homes and group homes!" Lux cried out.

Cate grabbed Lux's shoulders and looked at her. "That's nothing to be ashamed of."

"You don't get it. No one wanted me. Not one person wanted me for thirteen years! It's not exactly something to brag about," Lux shouted. She stormed up to her room, frustrated and angry.

Cate fought back tears until Lux was upstairs. Then she finally allowed herself to cry. She cried for the pain she felt but also for Lux.

She felt so guilty for everything that Lux had gone through. All she wanted to do was make everything better, but Lux wasn't making it easy.

Lux paced the length of her attic bedroom. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what she wanted.

Part of her wanted more than anything to be with Cate. She'd always wanted, well, to be wanted. She'd longed for a mom. Now she had one and was beginning to wonder if it was all it was cracked up to be.

Cate was always telling her what to do. And it usually involved staying away from Tasha and Bug.

Tasha was the first person to be there for Lux. They'd been through so much together. They'd been best friends since they were little kids. They were more like sisters than friends.

Cate had just come into Lux's life. If Lux had to choose between Cate and her friends, she didn't know what she would do. She couldn't help but feel that Tasha was more like family than her real family was.

* * *

The ride to school the following morning was awkward. Lux was clearly still angry. Cate walked Lux into school, making sure she made it into the classroom.

"Have a good day," Cate said.

Lux rolled her eyes.

* * *

Cate slipped into the radio station. Ryan always covered for her while she took Lux to school.

"Want to talk about it?" Ryan asked, knowing the instant he saw Cate that something was bothering her.

"What? The fact that my daughter hates me," Cate muttered.

"What did you do?" Ryan asked.

"Aside from giving her away and not being there for the first thirteen years of her life, I don't like her friends and I can't stand her boyfriend," Cate replied.

"Wow, you're on a roll," Ryan said, laughing.

"I made the mistake of suggesting Lux invite some girls from school over this weekend and she freaked out," Cate said.

"That doesn't seem so bad," Ryan replied. "Wait, you didn't threaten to cook for them, did you?"

Cate cracked a smile, shoving Ryan playfully. "No, but Lux thought that was the perfect opportunity to tell me that she has nothing in common with anyone who isn't in foster care. She's too embarrassed to have anyone else over. She thinks they'll find out she was in foster care and no one wanted her."

"Ouch," Ryan said sympathetically.

Cate nodded miserably. "You know, I was trying to what was best for Lux fourteen years ago. But I didn't. She feels so unwanted and it's all my fault."

"No, it's not," Ryan replied firmly. He waited for Cate to meet his gaze. "It takes two people to have a kid, Cate. Baze is just as much at fault as you are. And the social worker told you Lux would be better off. You couldn't have known what would happen."

Cate smiled, grateful someone understood. Ryan always knew what to say to make her feel better.

* * *

After first period, Bug met Lux outside of Westmonte. She hopped on his bike and they headed toward the coffee shop they always used to hang out at.

"Cate already walks me into the building every morning. When she finds out I ditched again, she'll probably start going to class with me," Lux complained.

Bug laughed. "That'll help you make friends."

"Tell her you went home sick," Tasha suggested.

"Knowing Cate, she'd leave work early to take me to the doctor," Lux retorted.

"What about Baze?" Bug asked.

Lux smiled as an idea occurred to her. "We're not exactly on speaking terms. But, _you_ could call."

"What? And tell them my girlfriend won't be in class because we're too busy making out?" Bug smirked.

"No, you could call and pretend to be Baze. Tell them that I'm sick," Lux explained.

"Beauty and brains," Bug said, laughing. He made the call. "Yes, this is Nate Basille. My daughter, Lux Cassidy, won't be in class today because she's sick."

Lux and Tasha were doubled over laughing. Bug bit the inside of his cheeks to keep from laughing aloud. "Thank you," he said to the school secretary before hanging up.

"I owe you," Lux said gratefully.

"I can think of a few ways you could repay me." Bug smirked, pulling Lux into his lap.

"Really?" Lux teased, kissing him slowly.

"Get a room," Tasha said, rolling her eyes.

"We tried that. Baze and Cate were less than thrilled," Bug said.

"That's an understatement," Lux said. "Now Cate wants me to invite a bunch of girls from Westmonte to spend the night this weekend."

Tasha snorted. "'Cause you have so much in common with stuck-up suburban kids."

"Yeah, who look like they stepped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue," Bug added.

"I know," Lux agreed.

"You're never going to fit in with them. They couldn't possibly understand kids like us" Tasha said. She felt envious when she thought of Lux hanging out with other girls.

"I know," Lux repeated.

"I don't know," Bug said thoughtfully. "If Lux puts a polo shirt and a North Face jacket on, she'll look right at home at Westmonte." He smirked.

Lux punched Bug lightly. "Take it back."

Bug raised his eyebrows. "Or what?"

"Or I'll make you take it back," Lux threatened, tickling him playfully.

Bug grinned, cuffing Lux's wrists gently and kissing her.

Lux kept an eye on the clock. "We gotta go. Cate picks me up from school in an hour."

"Is this how it's gonna be from now on?" Tasha asked angrily.

Lux stared at her blankly.

"We never get to see you anymore," Tasha said pointedly. "You have to ditch school just to hang out with us for a few hours."

"You think this is what I want?" Lux said defensively.

"I didn't know finding your mom meant losing your friends," Tasha said harshly.

"Neither did I," Lux muttered. "I don't know what to do."


	13. Tangled Webs

"Hello?" Cate answered her cell.

"Ms. Cassidy, this is Mrs. Brown from Westmonte," the school secretary said.

"Is everything OK?" Cate asked, concerned.

"I'm calling because Lux's father called to tell us she wouldn't be in class today, however you are the only one listed in Lux's records," Mrs. Brown explained.

"Wait a minute, Baze? Nate Basille?" Cate asked, confused.

Mrs. Brown glanced down at her notes. "Yes. Should we add him as a parent in Lux's records?"

Cate frowned. Lux was barely speaking to Baze. Why would he be calling her in? "Yes, Baze is her father."

* * *

As soon as Cate hung up, she went to Open Bar.

"Hey," Baze called out when she entered. He saw her expression and stopped dead in his tracks. "Is Lux OK?"

"Funny, that's what I wanted to ask you since the school called and said you called her in," Cate retorted.

Baze frowned, confused. He hadn't called Lux in. Suddenly he realized what must have happened. He remembered calling himself in and pretending to be his dad when he wanted to skip class in high school.

He hesitated. He knew he should tell Cate. But, Lux was already so mad at him. Maybe if he covered for her, she'd finally forgive him. And he could always talk to her about it later. "Yeah, she called me because you were at work. She wasn't feeling well."

"If you knew she was sick, why did you ask if she was OK?" Cate narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"I thought maybe she'd gotten worse," Baze lied.

"Well, where is she?" Cate asked.

"Uh, your place," Baze fibbed.

"By herself?" Cate demanded.

Baze nodded.

"You're unbelievable! Who leaves their sick kid alone?" Cate said angrily.

* * *

Baze waited until Cate took off to jump in his Jeep. He wasn't sure where Lux was, but he figured she'd show up at Westmonte since Cate normally picked her up there.

Bug stopped his bike in front of Westmonte and Lux hopped off. "Tasha's right, you know," Bug said.

"What?" Lux asked, frowning.

"We never get to see you anymore," Bug replied, clearly frustrated.

"I know. I just…I don't know what to do," Lux said.

"Yeah, well, you better figure it out if you want to be together," Bug said threateningly.

"What are you saying? You don't want to be together?" Lux cried out.

"Not like this. Not if I only get to see you once a week," Bug replied harshly.

"Of course. I should've known if you ditched school, you'd be with this punk," Baze interrupted, pulling up next to them.

Bug took off, not in the mood to deal with Lux's new parents.

"Nice," Lux said sarcastically. "What are you even doing here?"

"Trying to save your butt," Baze retorted. "The school called Cate when _I_ called you in. She stopped by my place."

* * *

Lux got in the Jeep. "How mad is she?"

"I covered for you, but I also said you were at home in bed. She's on her way now and we need to beat her there," Baze explained.

"You covered for me?" Lux asked, surprised.

"Don't look so surprised. I'm cool," Baze replied, insulted.

"You weren't cool when you ratted me out the night of Drink a Date," Lux retorted.

"What's not cool is me finding you and Bug in your room," Baze shot back.

"Here we go again." Lux rolled her eyes.

"I don't like that kid," Baze said.

"Join the club," Lux said dully.

"You think maybe if both Cate and I don't like him, there's a reason? It's not like Cate and I agree on much," Baze replied.

"Give me one good reason you guys don't like him," Lux challenged. "And being my boyfriend doesn't count. Crap!"

"What?" Baze asked.

Lux gestured toward Cate's house. Baze had been looking at Lux and hadn't even realized they'd pulled up as Cate was getting out of her car.

Cate had already noticed Lux sitting in the passenger seat and was headed toward the Jeep.

* * *

"What now?" Lux asked.

"We're busted," Baze admitted. "I'm sorry, Kiddo."

"Why isn't she in bed sick?" Cate demanded, hands on her hips.

Lux looked at Baze.

Baze made a face before admitting, "I lied."

"Why?" Cate asked angrily.

"It's just, she's been so mad at me. When you showed up at the bar and I realized what was going on, I thought maybe she'd forgive me if I covered for her," Baze explained.

"And what exactly is going on?" Cate demanded.

Baze looked down, not wanting to give Lux another reason to be mad at him.

When Baze said nothing, Cate turned to Lux.

"It's not Baze's fault," Lux said after a moment.

Baze looked up, surprised.

"I ditched school. Bug called in pretending to be Baze. Baze didn't know," Lux admitted.

Cate glared at Lux. "Lux, get in the house. I need to talk to Baze."

Lux obeyed reluctantly.


	14. Old Feelings

"Only you would think covering for Lux when she's ditched school and lied is anything remotely close to parenting," Cate fumed.

"She's not speaking to me! She won't forgive me! I didn't know what else to do. I thought if I helped her out, she might give me a second chance," Baze explained.

"By helping her out you're telling her that ditching school and lying are acceptable behaviors," Cate said. "What am I saying? You probably do think they're acceptable behaviors."

"And you don't think you're overreacting a little bit? It's just junior high. It's not going to matter if she misses a few days," Baze argued.

"Don't you get it? Missing school will affect her grades. It will affect whether she gets into a good college or not," Cate pointed out.

Baze made a face. "She'll be fine."

"I don't think you understand how serious this is! I only have temporary custody. If Lux keeps getting into trouble, they won't let me keep her," Cate said angrily.

"What? We're her parents," Baze replied.

"We don't have parental rights. Her social worker, she made it clear that this is temporary," Cate explained.

"What can we do?" Baze asked.

"Make sure Lux stays out of trouble," Cate said firmly.

* * *

Baze drove to his parents' house on autopilot. He swallowed as he pulled up. This was definitely not his favorite place.

He might be an adult, but his dad always managed to make him feel like a little kid who'd done something wrong.

He knew going to his dad for help was a long shot. His dad would probably just use Lux as more ammo against Baze.

But, he had to do something. He hadn't realized Cate only had temporary custody of Lux. He didn't really know anything about the legalities of adoption. But, there was no way they could lose Lux.

Baze knocked. Even though it was his childhood home, it didn't feel like home to him and he did not feel comfortable just walking in without knocking.

His dad, John, opened the door, a condescending smile on his face. "A visit from my only son. That can only mean one thing."

Baze waited for the punch line.

"You need something," John said knowingly. "My guess is money."

"No, I don't need money," Baze muttered.

"Really?" John smirked. "Does that mean you're going to pay the rent for the bar this month?"

Baze looked down, embarrassed. "About the rent, I'm going to get it to you. I just need a little more time."

"I don't know what I expected, when you turned the building I gave you into a bar," John said, disappointment evident in his voice.

"You told me to do what I loved," Baze protested.

"And that's the best you can come up with?" John shot back.

"This was a mistake," Baze mumbled, turning for the door.

"No, wait," John stopped his son from leaving. "You can't leave without telling me what you wanted in the first place."

Baze shook his head. "I don't want anything from you."

* * *

Cate found Lux in the attic. She sat down facing Lux on Lux's bed. "What happened to not ditching anymore?"

"I didn't know that was the only way I would get to see my friends," Lux said truthfully.

"Bug came over for dinner last night," Cate pointed out.

"Yeah, and you didn't give us any time alone." Lux rolled her eyes.

"You're fourteen. You don't need time alone with your boyfriend," Cate said firmly.

"And what about Tasha? I never get to see her! You wanted me to invite people from school to spend the night, but you wouldn't let Tasha come over," Lux pointed out.

"Can you blame me? The last time you hung out with Tasha you almost got arrested for stealing," Cate retorted.

"Maybe I should go back to Sunnyvale," Lux mumbled, looking down.

Cate sighed. She grabbed Lux's shoulders and looked at her. "Lux, you should know by now that I want you here."

Lux swallowed. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to hurt Cate. And, she really wanted to be with Cate. But, she also wanted to be with Bug and Tasha.

"I don't want to stay here," she said quietly after a moment. She looked away, not wanting to see the hurt on Cate's face.

Tears stung Cate's eyes. "I don't understand, Lux. Is this because of Tasha?"

Even without looking at Cate, Lux knew she was crying. Cate's voice was thick with tears. Lux steeled herself against emotion and continued, "I miss my friends. I don't want to be across town from them. I don't want to be at a different school."

Cate nodded, tears streaming down her face.

Cate left Lux. Without thinking, she headed for Open Bar. Even though they'd argued earlier, Cate subconsciously knew that Baze was the only one who could possibly understand how she was feeling.

* * *

Baze looked up from the bar when Cate entered. "If you came by to tell me how horrible I am, get in line. My dad-"

Baze stopped when he saw that Cate's eyes were red and swollen. She looked awful. "You look like you could use a drink." He grabbed a bottle and handed it to her.

"Zima?" Cate cracked a smile. "I haven't had this since…"

"Lux was conceived?" Baze finished the sentence.

At the mention of Lux's name, fresh tears began to fall down Cate's face.

"I'm sorry," Baze said, shocked. "I didn't mean to bring back bad memories."

"No, it's not that," Cate replied, wiping tears from her eyes. "It's Lux. She wants to go back to Sunnyvale."

"Sunnyvale?" Baze asked.

"Yeah, the group home she was in before," Cate muttered. "Being with me must be really bad if she wants to go back."

Baze buried his face in his hands. "It's not all your fault. I haven't exactly been in the running for father of the year."

"What should we do?" Cate asked.


	15. Nobody's Perfect

Lux heard Cate leave. She watched Cate drive away from the living room window. She felt sick. She hadn't wanted to hurt Cate. She hadn't wanted any of this.

She wondered if Cate was on her way to talk to Fern. Lux hadn't thought Cate would make arrangements for her to return to Sunnyvale that quickly. There was no going back now, Lux realized.

She'd been fighting back tears since Cate left her. When the realization hit her, she stopped fighting them and started crying.

Ryan let himself into Cate's house, juggling a bag of takeout food. "Hey," he said, smiling when he saw Lux.

Lux wiped tears from her eyes. She hadn't known Ryan was coming over. She didn't want him to see her crying.

"Where's Cate?" Ryan called, as he took three plates out of the kitchen cabinet.

"I don't know," Lux mumbled.

"What?" Ryan asked, moving into the living room. "I couldn't hear you." He stopped when he saw Lux. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lux lied, moving toward the attic stairs, but Ryan blocked her.

"It's not nothing if it's making you cry," Ryan said.

"I'm not crying. I just, uh, have allergies," Lux said unconvincingly.

Ryan smiled. "You and Cate, you're so much alike. She has a hard time letting people in and trusting them, too."

Lux looked up. "Really?"

Ryan nodded. "But, you have to let people in if you want them to be there for you. Can you do that for me, Lux? Let me in?"

Lux hesitated. "Everything's so messed up."

"With Bug and Tasha?" Ryan asked.

"How'd you know?" Lux said, surprised.

"Cate told me," Ryan said.

Lux nodded slowly. "For so long, I didn't have anyone. I went from foster home to foster home. None of the foster parents ever wanted me. And then I met Tasha."

"It sounds like she was the person who was really there for you," Ryan said sympathetically.

Lux smiled. "She was. She's like my sister. She and Bug, they're not just friends. They're my family."

Ryan returned the smile. "You have so many people that care about you. Your friends. And Cate, Baze and me."

"Only there's no and. Lately it's been feeling like it's either Tasha and Bug or you guys," Lux said sadly.

"You moved in with Cate and started a new school. A lot has changed. But that doesn't mean you can't have Tasha and Bug in your life," Ryan said.

"Try telling Cate that," Lux retorted. "I never get to see them anymore. Cate hates them."

Ryan smiled. "Cate's not a perfect mom. It's probably going to take her awhile to figure it out. But, she's trying."

Lux looked down. "I told Cate I want to go back to Sunnyvale."

Ryan frowned. "Where's Cate?"

Lux shrugged.

Ryan dialed Cate's cell, knowing how upset she must be.

No answer.

* * *

Several drinks had dulled the pain for Cate and Baze.

"Do you want to, uh, stay here tonight?" Baze asked.

Cate looked up, surprised.

"You can't drive," Baze pointed out, gesturing toward the empty bottles.

Baze led the way up to his loft apartment. He handed Cate a clean T-shirt to sleep in. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"No, you don't have to do that," Cate said.

They built a pillow wall between them and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Lux couldn't sleep. She was miserable. She knew Ryan was right. Cate _was_ trying. And Lux had messed everything up.

Lux emerged from the attic in the middle of the night. "What are you doing?" She wondered, when she saw Ryan on the couch, his brow creased with worry.

"Couldn't sleep," Ryan replied.

"Me either." Lux sat down beside him. "I don't think she'll ever forgive me," she said sadly, referring to Cate.

"I think she'll understand if you explain," Ryan said softly.

Lux looked up hopefully. "Did you talk to her?"

Ryan shook his head. "I can't get a hold of her."

Lux frowned. "She never came home?"

"No," Ryan replied, concern in his voice. He tried Cate's cell again to no avail.

_She probably didn't want to see me_, Lux thought miserably. She was probably hoping when she got back Lux would be gone.

No matter what Ryan said, Lux didn't think Cate could forgive her for what she'd said. She knew she'd hurt Cate.

She'd told Cate she wanted to go back to Sunnyvale. She'd been angry and confused and scared that she would lose Bug and Tasha if she stayed with Cate. Now there was no going back.

Resigned, Lux packed her bags and slipped out while Ryan was leaving Cate yet another frantic voicemail.

She wanted to say goodbye to Baze before she returned to Sunnyvale. She'd been touched when he tried to cover for her. She wanted him to know she forgave him and would miss him.

She regretted freezing him out for so long. She'd had fun playing air hockey and video games with him. She missed being his "friend." Maybe they could still hang out once she went back to Sunnyvale.


	16. Explanations

Lux let herself into Open Bar and crept upstairs to the loft. She half-expected Baze to be awake and playing video games.

She didn't want to wake him. She curled up on the couch and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Baze stirred. Cate was cuddled into his arms. Baze had to admit it felt good. It felt as though Cate belonged there.

The details of the previous night were foggy as a result of a few too many drinks. Baze struggled to remember what had happened. He was half-relieved, half-disappointed when he remembered nothing had happened between him and Cate.

He didn't know how long it had been since he'd developed feelings for Cate. Watching her with Lux did something to him. It touched him on a deep emotional level no one else ever had.

Cate opened her eyes groggily. At first, she didn't know where she was. Her eyes darted around Baze's bedroom and widened in horror when she saw Baze. She jumped up, quickly moving away from Baze. "Oh my gosh! What happened?"

"Nothing," Baze replied reassuringly, assuming Cate was asking if anything had happened between them.

"No! What happened to the pillow wall? Where did the pillow wall go?" Cate demanded.

"It was made of pillows. It probably moved." Baze smirked.

"I'm with Ryan," Cate cried out.

Baze sighed. Clearly, whatever he was feeling wasn't mutual. "I know. Cate, nothing happened. We had too much to drink. You couldn't drive home. That's it."

Cate began gathering her things, eager to get out of there. She looked at her phone. She had nine missed calls from Ryan. How was she ever going to explain this to him?

She hurried out of Baze's bedroom and immediately spotted Lux on the couch. She stopped dead in her tracks.

Lux awoke with a start. She rubbed her eyes and looked up. She saw Cate staring at her.

"What are you doing here?" They both asked at the same time.

Cate joined Lux on the couch, noting Lux's packed bag on the floor beside the couch.

"Did you and Baze, uh-?" Lux began.

"No!" Cate said quickly. "I was talking to Baze. We had a few drinks. I couldn't drive."

Cate waited for Lux to explain what she was doing there. When Lux didn't offer an explanation, Cate said pointedly, "Your turn."

"I wanted to say goodbye to Baze," Lux said softly, looking down.

Cate swallowed. Lux had been planning on leaving without saying goodbye to her. Cate's phone rang, interrupting her thoughts.

"Is it Ryan?" Lux asked.

Cate nodded, hitting ignore.

"He's really worried about you," Lux said.

"Did you talk to him?" Cate asked, surprised.

Lux nodded. "He came over last night. I told him what happened. He's been up all night trying to get a hold of you."

Cate frowned, confusion wrinkling her brow. "How do you know? You slept here."

Lux shook her head. "I was home. I couldn't sleep. When Ryan said you never came home, I..." Lux trailed off.

"You what?" Cate asked.

Lux looked down. She wasn't sure what to say. There wasn't really anything to say.

"You what, Lux?" Cate demanded.

"You what? You were just going to leave. Without saying goodbye," Cate accused when Lux said nothing. Her voice was tinged with pain and hurt.

Lux looked up, meeting Cate's gaze. "That's not it at all. I just…I thought if you didn't come home, you didn't want to see me. Not after what I said."

Cate sighed. "I wanted to see you. To talk to you about what happened last night."

Lux nodded. "I'm sorry, Cate."

"For what?" Cate asked.

"What I said last night," Lux replied.

"Did you mean what you said?" Cate asked.

"I don't know," Lux said truthfully. "It's not like it matters now anyway."

"It matters," Cate said firmly.

"Not if you already talked to Fern," Lux mumbled.

"I haven't talked to Fern," Cate said. "I wanted to talk to you first."

"Really?" Lux asked hopefully.

Cate nodded. "Lux, did you mean what you said last night?"

"I don't know! I don't know what to do. I want to be with you. But you hate Bug and Tasha and I want to be with them, too. They're mad because I never get to see them anymore. I'm stuck in the middle. I don't know how to choose between having parents and the friends who've always been there for me," Lux said sadly.

Cate reached for Lux. "You don't have to choose. I'm sorry for making you feel like you do. I should have been more accepting of your friends."

Lux hugged Cate.

Cate pulled back and looked at Lux. "From now on when things come up, we need to talk about them and figure it out together."

Lux smiled. "Kinda like a family?"

Cate nodded.

Baze emerged from his bedroom. He'd been following Cate out when he saw Lux. He'd decided to give them a few minutes to talk.

He'd been listening at the door, though, anxious to find out if Lux still wanted to go back to foster care.

"Can I get in on the whole family thing?" Baze interrupted.

Lux looked up and grinned. "I think that can be arranged." She hugged Baze.

Baze hugged Lux back. Over her head, he met Cate's gaze and they exchanged a smile.

John cleared his throat, interrupting the family moment.

Baze, Cate and Lux looked up, surprised at the intrusion.

"Dad?" Baze said, surprised.

"I stopped by to get the rent for the bar," John said.

Lux studied her grandfather. He wore a crisp suit. Unlike Baze, his face was hard, not warm and friendly. His eyes were cold. He did not look happy.

"Who's this?" John asked after a moment, motioning toward Lux.

Baze hesitated. "This is my daughter, Lux."

"Your daughter?" John asked, clearly shocked.

"Hi, Gramps," Lux said sarcastically.

John stared at her. "When were you planning on telling your mother and I about this?" He demanded of Baze.

"Last night," Baze replied. "Even though according to you, I only come over when I need money."

John shook his head. "Typical. You can't blame me for everything. When are you going to grow up and start taking responsibility for your actions?"

"That's what I'm trying to do," Baze said, glancing meaningfully at Lux.

"With a kid we didn't even know you had," John retorted. He noticed Cate sitting on the couch. "Is this her mother? Or just another one of your one-night-stands?"

Cate drew in a breath.

"That's her mother," Baze replied. Reluctantly he introduced Cate to his dad.

"Did you know she was pregnant?" John asked Baze.

Baze knew telling the truth would not go over well. He opened his mouth, fully intending to lie, when he saw Cate out of the corner of his eye. She was staring at him incredulously.

At that moment, he knew he couldn't lie and hurt her. He'd already done that fourteen years ago. He grimaced, remembering how he'd denied sleeping with her and left her scared and alone to deal with the pregnancy.

Baze looked down. "I knew."

John snickered. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I was afraid to tell you. I didn't want you to be disappointed in me. I'm not sure why, since I've managed to disappoint you every day since," Baze muttered.

"What am I supposed to tell your mother?" John demanded.

"That she has a granddaughter. Maybe she'll actually be happy," Baze said angrily.

"Bring your daughter over for dinner tonight," John said, his tone of voice making it evident it was not a request. "Your mother will want to meet her."

Lux made a face. "If she's anything like you, maybe I don't want to meet her."

John stared at Lux, taken aback.

Cate put her arm around Lux protectively.

"Get out, Dad," Baze said.

"You're forgetting this is my building," John sneered. "Come over for dinner or you can kiss the bar goodbye." With that, he turned on his heel and left.

"It was nice to meet you, too," Lux muttered under her breath.

Baze grinned.

"Are we going to dinner?" Cate asked uncertainly.

"We have to or he'll take back the bar," Baze said miserably. "I'll pick you guys up at six o'clock."


	17. Family Dinner

**Note: I couldn't remember Baze's mom's name so I made it up.**

* * *

"Hopefully my other grandparents are nicer," Lux quipped, as she and Cate got in the car to go home.

Care rolled her eyes, thinking about her family. They brought new meaning to the word crazy.

"I'll take that as a no." Lux smirked.

Lux's smile disappeared as realization hit her. "Cate, was Baze lying to his dad?"

"About what?" Cate asked.

"He told his dad he knew you were pregnant," Lux said.

"He knew," Cate said ruefully, remembering how cruel he'd been when she told him.

Lux frowned. "But when I first met him in the bar, he said that you had me without telling him."

Cate hesitated. "I told him I was pregnant. He denied sleeping with me. I didn't tell him I had you." She left out the fact that Baze had told her _to get rid of it_. She didn't have the heart to tell Lux that.

Lux nodded as understanding set in, then frowned again as another thought occurred to her. "But how could he not know? I mean, didn't he see you at school? It must have been kinda obvious."

"I didn't really show until summer. I had you at the end of summer and lost the weight before I went back to school," Cate said.

Ryan's car was still in front of Cate's house when they pulled up. He saw them and met them at the door. "What happened? Where have you been?"

"It's a long story," Cate said, avoiding the question.

"I have time," Ryan said.

Cate sighed. She knew there was no way Ryan would let her off the hook that easily. "Lux said she told you what happened last night?"

Ryan nodded.

"I was upset. I didn't know what to do," Cate said.

Ryan stared at her expectantly.

"I needed to talk to Baze. He's the only one who could understand how I was feeling," Cate continued.

Ryan frowned. "Tell me you did not stay at Baze's last night."

Cate had been planning on being honest, but the look on Ryan's face and the tone of his voice caused her to reconsider. She did not want to lose Ryan because of this. Nothing had even happened! But she couldn't exactly picture Ryan being thrilled that she'd spent the night in Baze's bed regardless of how innocent it was.

She swallowed. "I had too much to drink. I couldn't drive home. I stayed at Baze's, but he slept on the couch."

Ryan hugged Cate, rubbing her back comfortingly.

Lux looked up and made a face. She knew Baze hadn't slept on the couch. She had slept on the couch.

Cate caught Lux's eye and reddened, embarrassed that her daughter had heard the lie.

Ryan pulled away after a moment. "Why didn't you call me? I left you a dozen messages."

"My battery died," Cate lied.

Satisfied, Ryan turned to Lux. "Did you talk to Cate?"

Lux smiled and nodded. "She understood."

Ryan returned the smile. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we go out to dinner tonight?"

"We're going to dinner at Baze's parents," Cate said.

"It's about time Lux met her grandparents," Ryan replied good-naturedly.

* * *

"Is that what you're wearing?" Cate frowned when Lux came down from the attic wearing jeans and a graphic T-shirt.

Lux rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, a prom dress is much better."

Cate glanced down at the dress she'd chosen. She wanted to make a good impression on Baze's parents. Now Cate just felt self-conscious.

"We want to make a good impression," Cate explained. "Why don't we both change? Maybe you can wear one of the dresses I bought you? And I'll change into something less formal."

Lux frowned. "Why do I have to dress up to impress people I don't even know?"

"Please?" Cate asked.

Lux gave in. She chose a blue cotton dress while Cate changed into a suit.

"Hey, you look nice," Baze said when he saw Lux.

"Thanks." Lux smiled.

Cate appeared behind her. "You ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Baze replied, leading the way to his Jeep. He held the door open for Lux and Cate. It was a small gesture, but it made Cate smile.

Baze's mom, Cindy, opened the door and enveloped Lux in a hug.

Lux stiffened, feeling awkward that someone she barely knew was hugging her.

Cindy pulled back and examined Lux. "Oh, you have my hair. And you have Nate's eyes," she gushed.

Lux edged closer to Cate.

They'd barely sat down in the dining room when the doorbell rang again.

"Oh, that must be them," Cindy said, getting up to answer it.

"Who?" Cate asked Baze, frowning.

Baze shrugged.

"Sorry we're late. Costco was a zoo. But we got the wine!" Laverne said as she and Abby entered the foyer.

"Oh my gosh," Cate said when she recognized her mother's voice.

Lux frowned. "Who is that?"

"My family," Cate replied.

Laverne hurried over to Cate and Lux. "Aren't you just the cutest little thing?" Laverne said, hugging Lux.

Lux made a face.

Laverne noticed Baze and turned to Cate. "He's hot."

Cate rolled her eyes.

"What? I'm just saying! Is anything going on between you two?" Laverne asked curiously.

"I'm with Ryan," Cate said definitively.

"So he's single?" Laverne asked.

"Yes, he's single but don't even think about making him your next husband!" Cate whispered furiously.

John appeared with a platter of steaks fresh off the grill and everyone sat down. They served themselves in awkward silence.

John cleared his throat. "We need to talk about the situation."

"What situation?" Baze said defensively.

"You two…" John nodded toward Baze and Cate. "Made a mistake fourteen years ago. Now you're digging in deeper."

Baze stood up. "My daughter is not a mistake! Being there for her is not a mistake!"

"That's not what anyone's saying," Laverne said, attempting to make peace. "But you have to admit, you two aren't ready to be parents. Lux would be better off with someone else."

"We _are_ her parents!" Cate protested. "And who would she be better off with? I'm just dying to know! You?"

"No one's suggesting _that_," Cindy interrupted, appalled at the idea of Laverne raising her granddaughter.

"Actually I was," Laverne said, offended.

"I think it's perfectly clear that the only people in this room who are qualified to care for a child are Cindy and me," John said.

"Right because your son turned out so well," Cate said sarcastically.

"Thanks," Baze muttered under his breath.

"At least my son didn't have a kid he wasn't ready to have!" John spat out.

Laverne stood up to defend her daughter. "Excuse me, but it takes two people to have a baby."

"Your daughter is the one who had her!" John accused. "I would've paid to take care of it."

"That's real nice," Lux said.

Everyone stared at her.

"What? I'm sitting right here. I can hear you!" Lux rolled her eyes.

Everyone sat in stunned silence.

"Does anyone care what I want?" Lux asked incredulously.

"What do you want?" Abby asked.

"I want to be with Cate and Baze," Lux said firmly. "I don't want anything to do with the rest of you."

"Neither do I," Baze said. He pulled Cate's chair out and the three of them left hastily.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Kiddo," Baze apologized once they got in the car. "You deserve better than that."

"It's OK," Lux replied.

"No, it's not OK," Cate said firmly. "What our families said back there, that must have hurt."

Lux shook her head. "Those people aren't my family. I don't even know them. I didn't even want to have dinner with them. You guys are my family."

Cate and Baze exchanged a smile. Cate reached for Lux's hand. Baze draped an arm over Lux's shoulders possessively.

Baze stopped at a bar and grill. They'd left his parents' house without eating. "Let's get some food."

"What'll it be, Kiddo?" Baze asked. "A burger?"

"I don't eat meat," Lux replied.

Baze feigned shock. "A vegetarian? You can't be my kid."

Cate punched him lightly.

Lux grinned.

"That's revolting," Baze teased when the waitress brought Lux a veggie burger.

"Wait," Baze said, stopping Cate from sipping her beer.

Cate looked at him curiously.

"Let's make a toast. To family," Baze said, holding up his beer.

"I'll drink to that," Cate said, raising her beer.

"Lux?" Baze asked.

"I'm drinking water," Lux pointed out before raising her glass.

"I'm sorry, are you twenty-one?" Baze said pointedly.

Lux rolled her eyes.

Baze laughed. "To family?"

"Unconventional though we may be," Cate said.

They clinked glasses and everyone took a sip.

"You know, the more families I see, we're a pretty good one," Lux commented.

Cate and Baze exchanged a smile.

Lux noticed. It wasn't the first look that had passed between them. They'd been getting along unusually well.

She wondered if something had happened between them last night. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of her parents being together.

"What? You're not jealous of my family?" Baze teased.

Lux laughed.

"What about mine? A drunk and a sister who got her therapy degree online." Cate smirked.

"Where's your dad?" Lux asked curiously.

Cate bit her lip.

"I'm sorry," Lux apologized quickly. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"It's OK. My dad left us when I was little. He's never contacted us," Cate said sadly.

"I'm sorry, Cate," Lux said.

Cate smiled at her daughter.

"Do you guys want dessert?" The waitress interrupted.

"I don't know. I think we're full," Baze teased.

"We definitely want dessert," Lux said.

The waitress laughed and handed them dessert menus.

"What do you want?" Baze asked.

"I don't know. Tiramisu sounds good. So does cheesecake," Lux said.

Cate laughed. Sometimes Lux seemed so much older than she was, a result of growing up too fast. It always made Cate laugh when Lux actually acted her age.

"I'll get the tiramisu and you can get the cheesecake and we can share," Baze decided.

Cate reached for the check when the waitress brought it, but Baze grabbed it out of her reach. "I got it."

"You don't have to," Cate said, knowing Baze wasn't as well off financially as she was.

"I want to," Baze said firmly.

Lux hugged Baze when he dropped them off. "Thanks. Tonight was really good. You know, after we left your parents' house."

Baze grinned. Lux seemed to have forgiven him at last. For the first time, they really felt like a family.


	18. A Little Crazy

Baze was in a great mood when he pulled up to the bar. Spending time with Cate and Lux had that effect on him. When he opened the door and saw his dad, his mood instantly soured.

"Where have you been? It's been hours since you threw your little tantrum and walked out on dinner," John said.

"I took my family to dinner," Baze said shortly.

"Your family?" John raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, Dad, my family. Cate and Lux," Baze replied.

"Never mind your mother and I," John shot back angrily.

"Hey, I brought my family over for dinner, but instead of getting to know your granddaughter, you attacked Cate and me, and hurt Lux," Baze said defensively.

"I'm sorry for that. I didn't intend to hurt Lux," John admitted.

"But Cate and I are fair game?" Baze retorted.

"How well do you know Cate?" John asked.

"What do you mean how well do I know her?" Baze made a face. "She's the mother of my kid."

John scowled. "We don't know that. Do you have any proof that Lux is yours? Or are you taking this woman at her word?"

Baze's face contorted with rage. He didn't know which was worse-his dad calling Cate _this woman_ or suggesting Lux wasn't his. "She's mine," he replied, his tone deadly.

"Still, it wouldn't hurt to get a DNA test," John suggested.

"Listen to me! For once in your life. She's mine. Lux is my kid. I don't need a DNA test to tell me that," Baze said angrily.

"If she's really yours-" John began.

"There's no if!" Baze cut him off. "Cate was a virgin. _I_ slept with her. _I_ got her pregnant. She hadn't slept with anyone else. She told me she was pregnant in high school. There is _no_ way I'm going to accuse her of lying and get a DNA test!"

"Are you going to marry Cate?" John asked.

Baze smirked. "One minute she's a lying slut who can't care for a child and the next you want me to marry her?"

"You're very protective of her and you've made it clear you want a family with her and Lux," John pointed out.

"She has a boyfriend. Somehow I don't think he'd approve," Baze said sarcastically.

John frowned. "Do you have joint custody?"

"No. Cate has sole custody," Baze replied.

"That's unacceptable. If you're serious about this, you need to file for joint custody," John said.

"I don't know. Cate only has temporary custody as is," Baze explained.

"What?" John said.

"Yeah, if Lux gets in trouble, we could lose her. We lost our parental rights when Cate gave her up," Baze said, his voice laced with concern.

"I'll talk to my lawyer tomorrow," John promised.

"Thanks, Dad," Baze said, surprised at the offer.

John nodded. "She's my granddaughter."

* * *

Cate sat down on Lux's bed. "I really am sorry about what our parents said tonight."

"I know. It's OK," Lux said. "I'm really sorry about what I said last night."

Cate nodded. "I know."

Cate got up. She hesitated at the stairs. "You know, if you still want Tasha to spend the night, she can."

"Thanks," Lux said.

Lux asked Tasha to spend the night the following weekend.

She helped Cate clean on Thursday evening.

"It's just Tasha," Lux pointed out. "We don't have to clean."

"I don't want anyone coming over when the house looks like this," Cate said.

Lux smirked. Cate's house looked nice, as always. Cate was such a perfectionist.

Cate was in the process of cleaning off the kitchen counter. It wasn't dirty, but Cate was moving everything off of it-phone chargers, a stack of paperwork, a pile of mail.

"Like what? Like we get mail? I can see how that would be top secret," Lux teased.

"Can you take your backpack and books up to your room?" Cate asked.

Lux grumbled as she collected her books. She dumped them on the floor of the attic and returned to the kitchen.

"Where are you going to put that stuff?" Lux asked, noticing a growing mountain of items Cate intended to put away.

"The hall closet," Cate replied. "Will you help me?"

Lux picked up a stack of paperwork and followed Cate to the hall closet. She'd never actually looked in the closet, she realized.

Cate opened the door and a book fell, nearly hitting her in the head. Lux stared in shock. The closet was literally overflowing with random junk.

"What is all this stuff?" Lux asked, picking up a ski.

"Stuff I never use. Most of it was in the attic, but I cleaned it out for you," Cate replied.

"I don't think moving it to the closet counts as cleaning it out," Lux retorted.

Cate frowned. Lux was right. "We'll go through it and decide what we can get rid of on Sunday."

"Sounds fun. Can't wait," Lux said sarcastically.

As soon as Cate and Lux pulled up to Sunnyvale, Tasha came out and jumped in the back of the car. She'd been waiting, anxious for a break from the group home.

Lux turned around in her seat and hugged her best friend. They were quiet during the car ride.

"How's Bug?" Lux asked once she and Tasha were alone in the attic.

"I was waiting for you to ask about him." Tasha grinned.

Lux blushed slightly.

"He misses you," Tasha said. She started to say something else, but stopped abruptly.

"What? Tell me," Lux demanded.

"His foster dad hit him," Tasha said.

"Is he OK?" Lux asked anxiously.

Tasha shrugged. "Black eye. It's actually kinda hot."

Lux threw a pillow at Tasha. "Hands off. He's mine."

"Don't worry. I only have eyes for Gavin," Tasha reminded her.

"How's everything with Gavin?" Lux asked.

"Good. Bug and him are saving up for their own apartment. They want us to move in with them," Tasha said.

"Cate would love that," Lux said sarcastically.

"But we could all be together. The four of us," Tasha said.

"Have you heard from your mom lately?" Lux asked, deliberately changing the subject.

"You mean since she was strung out on my birthday? Not a word," Tasha muttered.

"I'm sorry," Lux said even though she knew apologies didn't help when you felt abandoned and unwanted.

"We don't all get a perfect mom out of nowhere," Tasha said, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

Lux shifted uncomfortably, unsure what to say.

Tasha admired Lux's room. "Did Cate buy you all this stuff?"

Lux nodded.

Tasha wandered over to Lux's closet and inspected her new clothes. "This stuff must have cost a fortune."

"Want to borrow something?" Lux offered.

"I'm trying to scare foster parents away," Tasha pointed out. "I think a sundress might have the opposite effect."

"True," Lux agreed.

"What's your room at Baze's like?" Tasha wondered.

"I don't have a room there," Lux replied.

Tasha made a face.

"What? He has roommates," Lux said.

"How old is he again?" Tasha smirked.

"Hey, they're cool. We hang out, play video games together and stuff," Lux said defensively.

When they went downstairs in the morning, Cate had left a box of donuts on the counter and a note saying she was running errands.

They were each on their second donut when Ryan let himself in. He grabbed a donut and joined them at the table. "Hi," he said brightly.

"Hi," Lux said. She gestured toward Tasha. "This is Tasha."

"Baze?" Tasha asked.

"No," Lux said quickly. "This is Ryan. Cate's boyfriend."

Ryan smiled. "It's nice to meet you. Cate asked me to take Tasha home."

"Oh yeah. I've seen you on billboards for the radio show," Tasha remembered. "Nice to meet you."

Ryan smiled politely even though he was hurt that Lux clearly hadn't mentioned him to her best friend. He really cared about Lux and he felt like they had a special bond.

"You ready?" Ryan asked when Tasha took her plate to the sink.

"Yeah," Tasha replied.

Ryan followed Lux's directions to Sunnyvale. He frowned when he pulled up to Sunnyvale. It looked like an institution, not a home.

Tasha hugged Lux goodbye.

"How long did you live there?" Ryan asked as they drove back to Cate's house.

"I was in the hospital for three years. Then, I was in and out of Sunnyvale until, well, now. I was in foster homes more when I was little. Foster parents usually want little kids. Unless they want a live in maid or nanny," Lux said.

Ryan sucked in a breath. "You seem so OK. I forget how much you've been through."

Lux looked down, embarrassed. She didn't usually tell people about her past. She felt strangely at ease with Ryan, like she could tell him anything.

"What's Tasha's story?" Ryan asked.

"Tasha's mom is a drug addict. She lost custody of Tasha when she entered court-mandated rehab. She checked herself out. She contacts Tasha every once in awhile, but she's always a mess," Lux explained.

Ryan nodded, looking at Lux sympathetically.

"What's your family like?" Lux asked.

"Relatively normal," Ryan replied.

"That explains it," Lux said.

"What?" Ryan asked curiously.

"Why you're so normal," Lux said, "and the rest of us are such messes."

"If it makes you feel any better, my parents are divorced," Ryan said lightly.

"Have you met Cate's family?" Lux wondered.

"Ah, Laverne and Abby?" Ryan grinned. "They're a little crazy."

"Just a little?" Lux raised her eyebrows.

"What were Baze's parents like?" Ryan asked as they pulled up to Cate's house.

"Worse," Lux replied.

"That bad?" Ryan smiled, holding the door open for Lux.

Lux nodded.

"Hey. Did you have fun with Tasha?" Cate beamed when Lux opened the door.

Lux hesitated. Tasha was like her sister. But the weekend hadn't been all fun and games. Tasha was making it perfectly obvious that she was jealous of Lux and it made Lux uncomfortable.

It's not that she didn't understand. Not too long ago, she'd been jealous of kids with families, Lux remembered wryly. But did Tasha have to take every opportunity to put Cate and Baze down? It was beginning to get old.

"Yeah," Lux lied. "What happened in here?"

"It looks like a tornado touched down," Ryan observed.

Cate was sitting on the floor. Every square inch of the living room was covered with random junk. She'd emptied the hall closet with the intention of organizing everything.

"Its organized chaos," Cate said defensively. "I'm cleaning out the hall closet."

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, but cleaning usually involves putting things away. Not taking them out," Ryan teased.

Cate tossed a throw pillow at his head. Ryan caught it easily, laughing.

Both Lux and Ryan sat down next to Cate to help her go through things.

Lux picked up Cate's yearbook and flipped through the pages.

"What are you wearing?" Lux asked.

Cate glanced at her high school picture and grimaced. She was wearing her old headgear. To top it off, her clothes reflected the decade. Shoulder pads should never be in fashion, Cate decided.

"Did you have a bowl cut?" Ryan asked, looking over Lux's shoulder.

Cate reddened. "OK, that's enough." She tried to grab the yearbook, but Lux held onto it.

"Wait, I want to see Baze," Lux said. She flipped to the page with all the kids whose last name began with _B_ and scrolled through looking for _Basille_. She was surprised to see Cate had completely defaced his picture.

Cate snatched the yearbook and put it in the pile she was getting rid of.

Lux and Ryan exchanged a glance before continuing to sort through the mountain of junk.

Lux came across Cate's high school diploma and studied it. "What's cum laude mean?"

"Oh, I graduated with honors. It's Latin for with honors," Cate said proudly.

"I'm surprised Cate hasn't told you yet," Ryan said with a grin.

Cate punched him playfully. "I don't tell everyone."

"Actually you do," Ryan replied, laughing.

The room was gradually starting to look like a living room instead of a disaster area.

Ryan noticed a box filled to the brim with wrapped presents. He raised his eyebrows. "Isn't it a little early to be doing Christmas shopping? Especially considering you always wait until the last minute."

Cate looked up to see what he was talking about. As soon as she saw the box, she knew.

"They're not all Christmas presents. Look, some of them are birthday presents," Lux pointed out, pulling presents out of the box.

Some were wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper, but several were wrapped in birthday wrapping paper.

"There's no cards," Ryan observed.

"Who are they for?" Lux wondered.

Cate looked at Lux strangely. "You actually. Well, not you exactly. I, uh, bought you a birthday present and a Christmas present every year."

Lux looked up, surprised. She counted the presents and realized there were twenty-seven total, for fourteen birthdays and thirteen Christmases.

"I don't know why. I just couldn't help myself," Cate tried to explain.

Ryan smiled and reached for Cate's hand.

Cate honestly didn't know why she'd bought the presents. Every year she'd felt compelled to get gifts even though she'd never imagined the daughter she gave away would be sitting in the same room as her.

"Can I open them?" Lux asked.

Cate nodded.

"They're for you," Ryan said.

Lux tore back the paper. The first several presents were clearly for a child. There were cute little frocks designed for little girls and precious stuffed animals.

Cate watched Lux intently. "You're too old for most of that stuff now. We can give it to Goodwill."

"I don't know. This is really your style," Ryan joked, holding up a pink baby jumper.

Eventually Lux got to more recent presents, tearing back the paper to reveal computer games and jewelry. Lux stared at the gifts surrounding her, touched.

In foster care, she rarely received anything for her birthday or Christmas. She remembered watching her foster parents' real kids open presents on Christmas morning on more than one occasion while she sat there empty-handed.

"Actually, would you mind if I kept them?" Lux asked softly.

"If you want to," Cate replied.

Lux smiled. "I want to."


	19. Three's a Crowd

"I broke up with Ryan," Cate said.

"I'm sorry," Baze replied.

"Don't be," Cate said. "I'm done trying to fight it. I have feelings for you. I should be with you, not Ryan."

Baze smiled. Truer words had never been spoken. He pulled Cate close. He kissed her hard.

She kissed him back. Her fingers ran through his hair. It felt so good. So right.

Baze opened his eyes groggily. "Cate?"

At first he thought he was still dreaming. Then he realized Cate really was in his bedroom.

"You are the saddest excuse for an adult I've ever seen. I've been trying to get a hold of you all morning. It's after one and you're still asleep," Cate said, her tone accusatory.

"What's up?" Baze asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"I have a meeting at work this afternoon," Cate replied.

Baze frowned. "So?"

Cate rolled her eyes. "So I need you to pick up Lux. Do you think you can manage that?"

Baze tried to hide his disappointment. "Yeah, of course I can."

"Thanks," Cate said, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Baze stopped her.

Cate stared at him expectantly.

"Uh, my dad called his lawyer after he found out about Lux-" Baze began.

"What? Why?" Cate demanded angrily. John had made it clear at the dinner ambush that he did not think she could care for Lux.

She wondered if John would be able to pull strings and have her temporary custody revoked. Cate couldn't stand losing Lux all over again.

Baze frowned. He'd expected Cate to be happy to hear his good news, but she seemed ticked off.

"Uh, the lawyer's been out of town, but I met with him yesterday-" He continued.

Cate's expression instantly transformed from concerned to icy when Baze mentioned his involvement. She fixed him with a deadly stare. "You can't be serious! You're fighting for custody?"

Baze stared at Cate in shock. He thought they'd gotten close. He thought he'd earned her trust. How could she think he would fight her for custody? She should know him better than that by now.

It bothered him that she was so appalled at the idea of sharing joint custody. Lux was his kid, too, and he'd been trying to be a good dad. Couldn't Cate see that? He'd changed since high school.

"Your dad's not the only one with money. I'll get a good lawyer," Cate threatened when Baze remained silent.

Baze shook his head. "I didn't meet with him because I wanted to fight for custody. I thought we were past that. I met with him because you only have temporary custody. He said we can petition the court to have our parental rights reinstated and we'll have full custody."

"Really? That's a possibility?" Cate asked hopefully.

"I don't know. Why don't you get a good lawyer and find out since you clearly don't trust me?" Baze said, his voice laced with hurt and anger.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted. You did a good thing. I shouldn't have jumped down your throat," Cate apologized.

"Why did you?" Baze asked, his expression stony.

"I don't know. It's just, the thought of losing Lux-" Cate started to explain.

"To me?" Baze cut her off.

Cate sighed. "To anyone. I just, I can't lose her again."

"Neither can I. She's my kid, too," Baze pointed out.

"I know. And you've been really great with her," Cate admitted. She reached for Baze's hand instinctively, but he brushed her off.

"If I've been so great with her, then why don't you trust me?" Baze demanded angrily.

"It's not that easy for me to trust you! You might be great with Lux now, but you weren't so great in high school," Cate retorted.

"And I'm sorry! But I'm not the same guy I was in high school. I didn't walk away from Lux or you this time. I've been here for both of you since you came back into my life," Baze said, his frustration at trying to prove he'd changed boiling over.

"I can see that you've changed," Cate admitted. "Can we start over?"

Baze smiled. "I'd like that."

* * *

Lux was surprised to see Baze's Jeep waiting outside Westmonte.

"Hey. What are you doing here? Where's Cate?" Lux said as she hopped into the passenger seat.

"She had a meeting at the station so she asked me to pick you up," Baze replied. "Are you up for some MarioKart?"

"Sure." Lux grinned.

They settled down on the couch with junk food and sodas.

"You've been practicing," Lux observed when Baze won the first game.

"Nah, you just got lucky last time. Beginner's luck," Baze retorted.

Lux rolled her eyes. "You've been practicing. It's not like you have anything else to do during the day."

"Hey, I work during the day," Baze said.

Lux raised her eyebrows.

Jaime snickered. "If sleeping counts as work, you owe me for overtime."

Lux smirked.

"You look happy. For someone that just lost!" Baze said as he beat Lux again.

They were on their fifth round of MarioKart when Cate interrupted. "You ready to go home?"

"Just a minute. I'm almost done," Lux said as she started the final lap in first place.

Cate sat down on the couch. "Who's winning?"

Lux rolled her eyes. "I am."

"Not for long," Baze said. He shot her with a red shell and passed her, winning the race.

"Jerk," Lux said lightly.

Baze grinned.

"Can you watch Lux on Friday? Ryan and I have an event," Cate said as Baze walked them out.

"I don't need anyone to watch me!" Lux protested. She was fourteen for crying out loud.

"Yes you do," Cate and Baze said in unison.

Lux made a face. "I'm fourteen!"

"Do we look stupid to you? You just want time alone so your little boyfriend can come over," Baze accused.

"That's not happening," Cate said.

"We'll do something fun," Baze assured Lux.

* * *

On Friday, Lux watched Cate get ready for the radio event. She looked really beautiful as always.

"What's the event?" Lux asked curiously.

"A charity gala," Cate replied as she applied blusher.

Cate finished her make-up and glanced at the clock on her cell phone. She frowned. "Where is Baze? I'm going to be late."

Lux rolled her eyes. "You can go. Baze is coming. It's not like Bug's going to come over for a quickie before Baze shows up."

Cate frowned, clearly not amused. The doorbell rang before she could say anything. "Oh, good. That must be Baze."

"Wow," Baze said when Cate opened the door.

"What?" Cate asked.

Baze shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, you just look really beautiful."

Cate smiled. "Thanks." She grabbed her jacket off the coat hanger.

Baze helped her into it. He couldn't help but notice that she smelled really good.

Lux smiled as she watched them together.

"Bye," Cate said as she hurried to her car.

"Get your jacket," Baze said to Lux.

"Where are we going?" Lux asked as Baze helped her into her jacket.

"It's a surprise," Baze replied.

"Are you dating anyone?" Lux asked once they'd gotten in the Jeep.

Baze looked up, surprised. "No. Where did that come from?"

Lux shrugged. "Just curious. I've never seen you with anyone. Except Cate."

"It's not like that with Cate," Baze said, a little too quickly.

"Do you have feelings for her?" Lux prodded.

"Cate? No, of course not. She's with Ryan," Baze said.

"It's not like they're married," Lux pointed out.

"Anyway, Cate and I are way too different. We fight about everything," Baze said.

"You've been getting along pretty well lately," Lux argued.

"She's neurotic. I'm more laidback. She's not my type," Baze said. Lux wasn't the only one he was trying to convince, Baze realized.

"She was your type once. Or was it more than once?" Lux said.

"What?" Baze asked, confusion wrinkling his brow.

"You guys hooked up in high school," Lux pointed out.

"It was just once," Baze assured her.

"Really?" Lux raised her eyebrows. "She stayed at your place the other night. When she'd had too much to drink."

"Nothing happened," Baze said.

"If you say so," Lux said, still unconvinced. "Where are we?"

Baze parked in front of Dave and Buster's. "You've never been here before?"

Lux shook her head.

"You're gonna love it. They have arcade games and carnival games," Baze explained.

Lux's face lit up.

They played Skee Ball, shot hoops, and raced motorcycles.

"Are you sure you haven't driven a motorcycle before?" Baze asked, surprised when Lux lapped him.

"I've driven a bike before," Lux said without thinking.

Baze looked up, alarmed.

"What? I've driven Bug's bike a few times," Lux said.

"You cannot get caught driving without a license," Baze warned.

"I didn't," Lux replied.

"Motor bikes are dangerous. I don't even want you on one much less driving one," Baze continued.

Lux rolled her eyes. "What happened to being laidback?"

"I _am_ laidback. I just want my kid alive and out of jail," Baze said defensively.

"I don't know. You sound neurotic to me. Maybe you and Cate have more in common than you think," Lux said lightly.

"I'm hungry. Are you hungry?" Baze changed the subject.

Lux followed Baze to the dining area. She ordered nachos and Baze ordered buffalo wings.

"We have to play the best game ever before we leave," Baze said as he paid the bill.

Baze led the way to the horse racing carnival game. Baze won easily, accumulating several tickets. When he was confident he had enough to get Lux a good prize, they stopped.

"What do you want?" Baze asked.

Lux studied the prizes excitedly. She chose a large stuffed dog.

* * *

When they got back to Cate's, Cate was still at the charity gala. They settled down on the couch to watch TV. Baze found a Jersey Shore marathon on MTV.

Cate opened the door and found Baze and Lux passed out on the couch surrounded by junk food.

Ryan frowned. He began collecting discarded candy bar wrappers, empty ice cream cartons and empty soda cans to throw away.

"I know. It's like having two kids instead of one," Cate said as she helped clean up. She smiled as she covered Baze and Lux with a blanket before going to bed.

Ryan knew he shouldn't be this annoyed that Baze was there and Cate's house was a mess. It wasn't just the mess, he knew.

Lately it seemed like Baze was _always_ around. Always in the way. Ryan rarely got to have his girlfriend to himself.

There should be some boundaries, Ryan thought angrily. He'd tried to be understanding. He knew the situation with Lux was complicated. But, his girlfriend had spent the night at Baze's place for crying out loud! Because she'd had too much to drink no less. And now Baze was spending the night here. There was only so much a guy could take.

"Oh my gosh!" Cate cried out when she opened the bathroom door the next morning and walked in on Baze. "This is not OK!"

Ryan heard Cate's scream and appeared behind her. He made a face when he saw Baze, annoyed that Baze was _still_ there and that Cate had walked in on him. This was the last straw. He was going to insist on setting some boundaries.

"What? Lux and I fell asleep watching a Jersey Shore marathon," Baze explained, flushing the toilet.

"Peace," Baze said as he let himself out.

"I want less of that guy in our lives," Ryan said, his voice tinged with irritation.

"You think I want him in our lives?" Cate said defensively.

"You're the one who asked him to watch Lux," Ryan pointed out.

"Yeah, so she wouldn't have Bug over while we weren't here," Cate said.

"All I'm saying is you could have asked someone else," Ryan said.

"Who?" Cate asked, exasperated.

"Your mom," Ryan suggested.

"My mom wanted to take my kid!" Cate shot back.

"Abby," Ryan tried again.

"That's not an option," Cate said definitively. "Baze is Lux's father. He's going to be in our lives."

"There's a difference between him being in Lux's life and being in yours," Ryan said.

"He can't be in Lux's life without being in mine," Cate argued.

Their argument woke Lux up. She was still on the couch. "What's going on?" She asked as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Nothing," Ryan replied. "I have to go."

"Were you guys fighting?" Lux asked after he left.

"No," Cate lied.

"Did he find out about Baze?" Lux asked.

"What?" Cate asked.

"You know, that you stayed in his bed the other night," Lux said.

"He knows I stayed in Baze's bed," Cate said.

"Only he thinks Baze stayed on the couch," Lux said pointedly.

Cate sighed. She didn't know how to explain herself to her daughter. She knew lying to Ryan was wrong.


	20. Little White Lies

"Lux!" Cate called from the foot of the stairs.

No answer.

Cate sighed and climbed the stairs.

Unbelievable. Lux was still asleep. She was going to be late for school.

Cate shook Lux gently to wake her up. "You're going to be late for school."

"No, I'm not. I don't have school today," Lux grumbled, pulling a pillow over her head.

"Why not?" Cate asked.

"I don't know. A teacher in service day or something," Lux mumbled.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Cate asked.

"Forgot," Lux replied.

Cate turned the light out so Lux could go back to sleep.

Cate drove back to the radio station. She'd slipped out to take Lux to school.

Ryan wasn't expecting her for another ten minutes. She knocked on Alice's door, eager to talk to her best friend. "I need to talk to you."

Alice raised her eyebrows.

Ryan looked up and saw Cate entering Alice's office. He glanced at the clock. That was weird. Cate usually wasn't back for another ten minutes or so.

He quickly went to commercial so he could find out if something was wrong.

Cate explained that she'd stayed at Baze's and lied to Ryan. She waited anxiously for Alice's reaction.

"Are you planning on telling Ryan the truth?" Alice asked.

Cate bit her lip. "I don't know. I wanted to but I don't know how."

"Just do it. The longer you wait the worse it will be," Alice said.

"I mean, do I really have to tell him? Nothing happened!" Cate said defensively.

Alice made a face.

"OK. You're right. I'm just going to wait for the right time," Cate said.

Alice rolled her eyes.

Cate turned to leave. When she opened the door, she almost ran into Ryan.

Ryan had been about to knock when he heard Cate confessing to sleeping in Baze's bed _with_ Baze.

"Hey." Cate smiled. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Ryan said angrily.

"Ryan, I can explain!" Cate said.

Alice stuck her head into the hall. "You guys are on dead air!"

Ryan hurried back to the studio. Cate followed reluctantly.

Ryan glared at Cate and picked up his microphone. "Is honesty always the best policy?" He spoke into the microphone.

Cate sighed. She didn't want to have this fight on the air, but there was nothing she could do about it. "Or are there times when you should tell little white lies?"

They took several calls with people sharing their opinions and stories.

"We have Liz from Portland," Ryan introduced the next caller.

"When it comes to cheating, I think it's better not to tell. You only tell to clear your conscience. Who feels better after you tell? Not the other person!" Liz said.

"You don't think the person you're with has a right to know?" Ryan asked.

They wrapped up the calls and prepared to leave. Ryan got up without saying anything.

"Can we talk?" Cate asked.

"About what? About how you lied to me?" Ryan demanded.

Cate fought back tears. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I know that. But Ryan, nothing happened!"

"I don't believe you," Ryan said.

"Wait! Ryan! Let me explain!" Cate cried out.

"So you can tell me more lies?" Ryan shook his head. "Tell them to someone else."

Cate started crying as soon as she got in the car.

* * *

"What's wrong? Are you OK?" Lux asked when Cate opened the door and she saw Cate's tear-streaked face.

"Not really, no," Cate replied, wiping tears from her eyes. "Ryan found out about Baze."

"I'm sorry," Lux said.

Cate disappeared to her bedroom. She lay despondently in her bed. She couldn't believe she'd lost Ryan when nothing had even happened with Baze.

Cate didn't know how long she'd been lying there when her cell phone rang. She picked it up, hoping it was Ryan. "Hello?"

"Lux!" Cate yelled.

"What?" Lux emerged from the living room.

"Why didn't you tell me tonight is parent-teacher conferences?" Cate demanded.

"Forgot," Lux lied, wondering how Cate had found out the real reason they didn't have school that day.

"The school called to remind me," Cate said.

"You don't have to go," Lux said quickly.

"No, I want to," Cate said firmly.

"I know you've had a really bad day and it's probably the last thing you want to do," Lux said.

"I need to get ready," Cate said, not listening to Lux. Cate called Baze to let him know before getting in the shower.

"This is not good," Lux muttered to herself.

"Uh, Cate, can I talk to you for a minute?" Lux asked when Cate emerged from the bathroom.

"Now's not really a good time," Cate said, distracted. "I have to finish getting ready."

Lux paced outside Cate's door, wanting to talk to her before she left. The doorbell rang and Lux went to get it.

She was surprised to see Baze. "Are you babysitting me again?" Lux rolled her eyes.

"Nah. I'm going to conferences with Cate," Baze replied.

Lux frowned, trying to figure out how to stop them from going. "Don't tell me you guys are actually leaving me by myself?" She said sarcastically.

"You think you can stay out of trouble for an hour or two?" Baze asked.

"Let's go," Cate said as she hurried out. She turned to Lux before she shut the door behind her. "No Bug."

* * *

Lux was trying to convince herself Cate wouldn't be _that_ mad when she found out about Lux's grades when Ryan let himself in.

"Hi," he greeted Lux. "Is Cate here?"

Lux was definitely not expecting Ryan to stop by. She hadn't pressed Cate for information, but she'd been under the impression they'd broken up.

"No," Lux replied.

"Mind if I wait?" Ryan asked.

"She might be awhile," Lux said, hoping he would leave.

"That's OK," Ryan said, settling down on the couch.

Lux excused herself to the attic so she could call Cate to warn her. It went to voicemail. Lux left a message for Cate to call her.

* * *

"She has a D?" Cate asked, horrified. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Mrs. Greene rifled through her paperwork and produced Lux's math test. She pointed to a signature. "One of you signed Lux's test. I require students to get their tests signed if they are failing."

Cate glanced at the signature. It was her name, but it looked nothing like her signature. Lux must have forged it.

"Wait a minute, failing? She has a D, not an F," Baze said.

"Yes, and students are required to earn a C or better in order to continue," Mrs. Greene explained.

Cate smiled at Mrs. Greene. "Lux has had a really hard time and she's just started at Westmonte. What can we do to turn things around?"

Mrs. Greene gave Cate information on extra credit opportunities and recommended a tutor.

Cate now knew why Lux hadn't told her about conferences, she thought bitterly. Her day had just gone from bad to worse.

Cate turned her cell phone back on and checked her voicemail. "Lux called," she told Baze. She decided to wait and confront Lux in person.

She looked up from her phone and saw Ryan's car parked in front of her house. She opened the door anxiously and she and Baze entered.

Ryan was sitting on the couch. "You've been with him. Why am I even surprised?"

"We were just at-" Cate started to explain, but Ryan cut her off.

"Save it! I don't even know why I bothered coming here," Ryan said angrily.

"Dude, what's your problem?" Baze asked.

Ryan got in Baze's face. "_You_ are my problem."

Baze made a face and pushed Ryan back. "What did I do?"

"That's rich," Ryan muttered. He punched Baze in the face and then headed for the door.

Cate followed Ryan. "Why did you come here?"

"I thought we could work things out, but I was wrong," Ryan said furiously.

"You're not wrong. I know this looks bad, but I can explain," Cate said.

"I can't do this," Ryan said. He stormed off.

Cate returned to the living room. "I'm sorry," she apologized to Baze.

"It's not your fault," Baze replied.

"It is," Cate said sadly. "I lied to Ryan about staying at your place the other night. He found out today."

"He doesn't think we slept together?" Baze said.

Cate nodded. "That's exactly what he thinks. He won't give me a chance to explain."

She filled a Ziplock bag with ice and held it to Baze's jaw. Baze relaxed. It felt good to let Cate take care of him.

"Hold that there," Cate instructed. She went upstairs to get Lux.

Lux was in bed. Cate glanced at the clock. It was only 9:22. "Are you pretending to sleep so we don't have to talk?"

Lux opened her eyes. "Maybe."

Cate tried not to smile. "Baze and I want to talk to you downstairs."

Lux sighed but went down to the living room. "Oh my gosh! What happened?"

"Ryan," Baze muttered.

"You're failing math," Cate said, giving Lux a hard look.

"Technically I have a D, not an F," Lux said.

"Right, which isn't passing. Why didn't you tell me? If you need help, we can get you help. We can find a tutor," Cate said.

Lux rolled her eyes. "I don't want a tutor."

"I don't think you realize how important your grades are. They will determine if you get into a good college," Cate explained, clearly frustrated at Lux's lack of concern.

"I'm not going to college," Lux said.

"You're going to college," Cate said firmly. "We can fix this. I talked to your teacher. You can do some extra credit assignments."

"You don't get it. I don't even want to go to college," Lux said.

"College is fun, Kiddo," Baze put in helpfully.

Cate glared at Baze and ignored Lux. "I'll help you with your homework from now on. We'll fix this."

"Whatever. I'm going to bed," Lux said.

* * *

Cate turned to Baze. "_College is fun_? Seriously?"

"What? It is fun," Baze replied.

Cate rolled her eyes.

Cate noticed the bag of ice was melting. She took it from Baze. She skimmed Baze's jaw lightly with her fingers. "Does it hurt?"

Baze closed his eyes. "No, it feels good."

Did he say that aloud? He opened his eyes to find Cate staring at him strangely. He blushed slightly. Her touch did feel good.

Without thinking, Baze leaned in and kissed her.

Cate was surprised, but kissed Baze back. He tasted so good. Masculine and strong.

Baze pulled Cate closer. Their bodies fit together perfectly. It felt like they belonged together as her body molded to his.

"Wait," Cate said, pulling back.

Baze groaned.

"What if Lux comes down?" Cate whispered quietly.

"It's not like she doesn't know we've done this before," Baze said lightly.

Cate punched him playfully. She led him to her bedroom.

In the back of her mind, Cate knew she should wait longer before starting something with Baze. She'd just broken up with Ryan. Assuming they were broken up. Ryan was barely speaking to her, so it was hard to say.

But she'd had such a bad day between Ryan and parent-teacher conferences. She didn't want to be alone. She craved the comfort of being in someone's arms. And she felt safe in Baze's arms.

When he kissed her, it felt like they were the only two people in the world. She'd been with a lot of guys, but none of them held a candle to Baze. The chemistry they shared was indescribable and had only intensified since high school.


	21. Who do you Trust?

Cate woke up snuggled into Baze's arms. Baze smiled. "Morning."

"Oh my gosh. It's morning! I have to go to work. And you have to get out of here before Lux sees you!" Cate said frantically.

Baze frowned. Cate had yet to wake up and actually be happy to be with him. His ego was bruised.

"What are you waiting for? Get dressed!" Cate said as she got up and got ready for work.

Baze obeyed. He headed for the front door, but ran into Lux in the kitchen.

Lux was eating cereal at the kitchen table. "You have got to be kidding me!" She said when she saw Baze.

Baze turned to face Lux. "I can explain."

"This should be good," Lux retorted.

"I, uh…" Baze trailed off awkwardly, not sure what to say.

"What happened to Cate not being your type?" Lux asked.

"Opposites attract," Baze said.

Lux rolled her eyes.

Baze said goodbye and left hastily.

Lux finished her cereal and rinsed the bowl out in the sink.

Cate appeared fresh from the shower. "Good morning," she said brightly. She had no clue that Lux had seen Baze.

"You're in a good mood," Lux observed.

Cate blushed. "I'm going to work. I'll pick you up for school later."

* * *

When Cate arrived, Ryan was already in the radio station. She slipped in.

Ryan didn't say hello or acknowledge her at all. He shot Cate a meaningful look before speaking into his microphone, "The topic this morning is how long should you wait before moving on after a breakup."

Cate glared at Ryan, but spoke into her microphone, "Is it over when it's over? Or should you wait before moving on?"

"Most people wait at least, say 24 hours, before jumping into bed with someone else," Ryan continued, looking at Cate pointedly, "But is there a right amount of time to wait?"

Cate covered her microphone with her hand. "OK, is this how it's going to be from now on? You attacking me every morning?"

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Ryan retorted.

"You don't even know the truth because you won't let me explain!" Cate protested.

"Explain what? Why you slept with Baze? Why you lied to me? Why you ran straight into his arms after we broke up?" Ryan demanded.

"OK, I didn't sleep with Baze. I slept in his bed, but nothing happened! I shouldn't have lied to you. But, Ryan, I only lied because I didn't want to lose you. And I was only with Baze last night because we had parent-teacher conferences!" Cate explained.

"You didn't say anything about conferences yesterday morning," Ryan said. He didn't trust Cate anymore and thought it was odd that she'd never mentioned conferences.

"Yeah, because I didn't know! Lux didn't tell me. She's not doing well," Cate said.

Ryan frowned. "I'm sorry."

Cate didn't know what to say. She didn't even know if she wanted to make up with Ryan. "I have to take Lux to school," Cate said. She hurried out before Ryan could say anything else.

* * *

"After school I'll help you with your homework," Cate told Lux as she drove to Westmonte.

"I'm going shopping with Tasha after school," Lux said.

Cate frowned. "School is more important than shopping."

"So I'll do homework after," Lux promised.

"OK," Cate gave in reluctantly. "Do you need a ride to the mall?"

"No," Lux said. She grabbed her book bag and hopped out of the car.

* * *

Cate headed back to the radio station. She didn't know what she was going to say to Ryan.

He was a great guy. Any girl would be lucky to be with him. If that was true, why didn't Cate feel very lucky?

She knew Ryan had been great. How many guys would be OK with their girlfriend taking a teenager in? Ryan really cared about Lux, she knew.

He had every right to be mad that she'd lied. It was wrong. But, the way he'd been treating her since he found out really rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't know if she wanted him to forgive her anymore.

Cate sighed as she parked her car. She wasn't ready to face the music.

"How's Lux?" Ryan asked quietly, offering Cate a friendly smile.

"Fine," Cate said shortly. She picked up her microphone, hoping Ryan would get sidetracked if they took callers.

As soon as they wrapped, Cate grabbed her purse and all but ran out of there. She didn't give him a chance to talk.

* * *

"Hey." Lux grinned.

"Hey," Tasha replied.

They started walking through the mall. Tasha made a face as they passed Abercrombie. "What guy would wear a pink polo shirt?"

Lux smirked. "Definitely not Bug or Gavin."

Tasha led Lux into Hot Topic and made her way to the belly button rings. "What do you think?"

"Cute," Lux replied. "Only one problem. You don't have your belly button pierced."

"Gavin has a friend who can do it," Tasha said.

"Tash, it'll probably get infected if you let some random guy pierce it," Lux warned.

"He's not a random guy. He's Gavin's friend," Tasha said defensively. "Gavin thinks belly button rings are sexy."

Lux rolled her eyes. They left the store and continued walking. "Mmm," Lux murmured as they passed Mrs. Fields' cookie shop. "They smell so good. Come on."

Lux bought them each a chocolate chip cookie.

Tasha eyed the cash in Lux's wallet enviously. "Did Cate give you all that?"

Lux blushed slightly. "Yeah."

"Nice," Tasha commented.

Lux looked down. She never knew what to say when Tasha acted jealous of her.

They headed to one of their favorite stores. Tasha tried on a cute beaded top. "What do you think?"

Lux nodded in approval.

"Can you get the sensor?" Tasha asked.

Lux frowned. "No."

"You're better at it than I am," Tasha whined. "When I rip them out, it always leaves big holes."

"I don't know," Lux said hesitantly.

Tasha's face hardened. "What, are you above it now or something?"

When Lux didn't say anything, Tasha glared at her. "You used to do it all the time. Not everyone has a brand new mom to buy stuff for them, you know. Don't act like you're so much better than me."

"OK," Lux gave in, not wanting to fight anymore. She glanced around before tearing the sensor off.

Tasha hid the sensor behind the mirror in the fitting room and stuffed the top in her purse. They left before anyone noticed.

Or so they thought. The salesperson cleaned out the fitting room and found the sensor. She immediately called Security and described the two girls who had been in the fitting room.

Lux and Tasha were a few stores down when a police officer stopped them. He asked if he could check their bags.

Lux looked at Tasha nervously. Cate would not be happy if Lux got caught stealing again.

"No," Tasha said defiantly.

"You're going to have to come down to the station," the officer said.

Lux panicked, imagining Cate's reaction if she had to pick her up from the police station. She took off, running as fast as she could from the cop.

He chased her and cuffed her, leading Lux and Tasha to his car.

* * *

"Call your parents," the cop instructed them once they were at the station.

Lux bit her lip.

The cop sensed her hesitation. "Look, kid, you're not going anywhere until your parents come get you."

Lux sighed and dialed Cate.

"Hello?" Cate said. She didn't recognize the number that popped up on her caller ID.

"Cate?" Lux said nervously.

"Lux, where are you?" Cate asked.

Lux swallowed. "I'm in jail. You have to come get me."

"What? Why are you in jail?" Cate demanded.

"Stealing," Lux replied, her voice small.

* * *

Fern arrived to pick Tasha up before Cate got there. Fern frowned when she saw Lux. "Was Lux stealing, too?" She asked the officer.

"Yeah," the officer replied.

Cate hurried in. She didn't see Fern. She headed straight for the officer behind the desk. "I'm here to pick up my daughter. Lux Cassidy."

The officer handed Cate a form to sign. Lux followed Cate toward the exit, but Fern stopped them.

"Your evaluation is scheduled for a month from now. I think we should move it up. I want you and Lux to be in my office tomorrow."

Cate swallowed. "Tomorrow? What exactly will you be evaluating?"

Fern sighed. "I told you this arrangement with Lux was temporary. If you can't take care of her, I need to find someone who can."

"I can take care of her," Cate insisted.

"From where I'm standing, it sure doesn't look like it. We're in a police station because Lux was stealing," Fern pointed out.

Cate glared at Lux.

"This isn't Cate's fault," Lux said. She knew that it was highly unlikely she'd be allowed to stay with Cate at this point.

Fern turned toward Lux. "No, it's not. It's yours. But you need guardians who can control you. Guardians who you respect."

"But I respect Cate!" Lux protested.

"Apparently you don't respect her enough to stay out of trouble," Fern argued.

"I wasn't even stealing!" Lux cried out. She hesitated. She didn't want to throw Tasha under the bus, but it was Tasha's fault they were in this mess. "Tasha's the one who stole, not me."

"That's not what the police officer said. He said you were the one who ran," Fern said.

Lux looked at Tasha, expecting Tasha to back her up, but Tasha remained silent. Lux shook her head in disbelief.

* * *

Cate didn't say anything when she and Lux got in the car.

"I wasn't stealing," Lux said.

Cate didn't argue, but the look on her face told Lux she didn't believe her.

"I wasn't!" Lux insisted. "You have to believe me."

"I don't know what to think," Cate said softly.

"Why would I lie? I didn't lie last time," Lux pointed out.

"I don't know. Honestly, Lux, I don't know why you would lie or steal," Cate said angrily.

"I'm not lying," Lux said firmly.

"Really?" Cate asked skeptically. "Because you've been caught stealing twice before now. You forged my signature on your test. You lied about conferences."

Tears stung Lux's eyes. She couldn't believe Cate didn't trust her. They drove the rest of the way in silence.

Lux stomped up to her room. She was telling the truth and no one believed her. Her own mother thought she was a thief and a liar. Her best friend had betrayed her.

* * *

Cate called Baze without thinking. "Can you come over?"

"Of course," Baze said.

"What's wrong?" Baze asked when he saw Cate.

"I picked Lux up from the police station," Cate said.

"What?" Baze frowned.

"Yeah, she was caught stealing," Cate explained.

Baze made a face.

"She says she wasn't stealing," Cate added.

"What do you think?" Baze asked.

"I don't know. This isn't the first time she's been caught stealing. She forged my signature on her test and lied about conferences," Cate said doubtfully.

"What are we going to do with Lindsay Lohan?" Baze asked.

"It might not be up to us," Cate said miserably. "You haven't heard the worst part. Her social worker was there picking Tasha up. She moved our evaluation to tomorrow. She said that if I can't take care of Lux, she's going to find someone who can."

Baze buried his head in his hands.

"Maybe she's right. I can't take care of Lux. She doesn't respect me. She steals, ditches school, lies and she's failing. I suck at this mother thing," Cate said sadly.

"That's not true," Baze said firmly. "You're a great mom."

"Yeah, right," Cate muttered.

"You are," Baze insisted. "Lux had problems before you got her. Maybe she's not acting out because of you. Maybe she's acting out because of her past."

"Yeah, the past she had because I gave her up," Cate pointed out.

"It's not just you. I didn't exactly want a kid at sixteen either," Baze said.

Baze frowned. He hated seeing Cate this upset. He wiped a tear from her eye and pressed a kiss to her temple. She leaned in to him, closing her eyes.

Baze held Cate close. Cate kissed him, gently exploring his mouth as first. Eventually she kissed him harder, more desperately.

Cate fell asleep in Baze's arms.


	22. The Game Plan

Lux waited until she heard Cate and Baze go to bed. Then she crept downstairs and called Bug.

She needed someone who believed in her, someone who she could trust. She knew Bug was the one person who would always take her side.

She waited by the front door. When she heard Bug's bike, she opened the door quietly. She held a finger to her lips and led Bug up to the attic.

"I was surprised you called," Bug whispered. "Aren't you worried Cate will catch us?"

Lux shook her head. "She doesn't trust me. I might as well give her a reason not to trust me."

"Why doesn't she trust you?" Bug asked.

"I went shopping with Tasha today. Tasha stole a top and we got arrested. I told Cate I wasn't stealing, but she didn't believe me," Lux explained.

"I'm sorry," Bug said, pulling Lux to him.

Lux smiled and kissed him. She began unbuttoning his shirt.

Bug grinned. He lifted her shirt up and unhooked her bra.

"Do you have a condom?" Lux asked as they moved to the bed.

* * *

Baze didn't sleep well. He had too much on his mind to relax. He tried to lie still so as not to disturb Cate.

Cate looked so peaceful sleeping. Baze smiled. He couldn't believe she was lying in his arms right now. What had he done to deserve the two most incredible women? He couldn't imagine what his life would be like without Cate and Lux. He didn't want to find out. The evaluation _had_ to go well. He intended to make sure of it.

Baze kept darting glances at the clock. He wanted to make a stop before the evaluation. When the digital display read _5:00 am_ Baze carefully slid out of bed, gently moving Cate's head from his chest to the pillow. He thought it was ironic that just a few months ago, he would've been awake and partying at this hour. Now he was awake for a very different reason.

Cate woke up and instantly looked for Baze. He wasn't there. She put her robe on and went into the kitchen, but there was still no sign of him. She looked out the window and noticed that his Jeep was gone.

Cate sighed and went up to the attic. She wanted to talk to Lux before they went to see Fern.

"What the hell?" Cate said angrily when she found Lux _and_ Bug in Lux's bed.

Lux's eyes fluttered open. She nudged Bug awake. They scrambled out of the bed. Bug pulled his jeans on. Lux had slept in his T-shirt. She changed into one of her own shirts and tossed his to him.

"Get out!" Cate yelled furiously.

Both Lux and Bug headed toward the attic stairs.

"Not you." Cate grabbed Lux's arm.

Lux crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly.

"What, are you trying to prove you don't respect me at all?" Cate demanded.

Lux shrugged. "You don't trust me anyway. I thought I might as well give you a reason not to."

Cate glared at Lux. "The test and conferences weren't enough?"

Baze climbed the attic stairs. He offered Cate a coffee, which she accepted gratefully. "I went to talk to my dad's lawyer. I wanted to get his advice before the evaluation."

"And? What did he say?" Cate asked anxiously.

"He said not to lie about anything because the social worker will check everything out. She'll talk to us each individually and then she'll talk to us together," Baze said.

"Us?" Cate said curiously.

Baze frowned. "I want to go. The lawyer said there are pros and cons to that. It's preferable to have the mother and the father in the picture. But, my job and financials might not help our case."

"It doesn't matter if you go or not," Lux interrupted.

Cate and Baze stared at her.

"I've been to these evaluations before. When it gets to this, the chances of staying together aren't that great," Lux explained.

"This time is going to be different," Cate said, her grave tone betraying her own lack of confidence in staying together.

"You don't know that," Lux said.

"Yeah, but I do," Baze said. "The lawyer told me they usually try to keep children with their parents. Unless we go in and completely blow it, they're not going to take you away from us."

Both Lux and Cate looked at Baze hopefully.

Cate turned to Lux. "What are you wearing?"

Lux shrugged. "Jeans and a T-shirt."

Cate made a face. "Maybe you should wear a dress."

Lux opened her mouth to argue, but stopped herself. If wearing a dress would help her stay with Cate, she would do it gladly. "Fine."

Cate and Baze went downstairs. Once they were in Cate's room, she turned to him, her brow creased with worry. "I'm not legally considered Lux's mother. I'm her temporary guardian. Do you think Fern will still try to keep us together?"

Baze rubbed Cate's back comfortingly. "I don't know," he said quietly.

Cate sighed. He could feel the tension in her shoulders. "Do you want me to come?" Baze asked as he continued kneading the knots in Cate's shoulders.

"Of course." Cate smiled at him.

Cate studied her wardrobe, looking for an outfit that would make her look like a mom. She settled on a conservative navy dress.

"Do I look like a mom?" She asked Baze once she was dressed.

Baze smirked.

Cate hit him playfully. "I'm serious! I want to look like a mom, not a-"

"Hot thirty-something?" Baze finished the sentence for her.

Cate smiled seductively.

"Sorry. You look hot no matter what you wear," Baze said lightly.

Cate smiled at the compliment.

"But, you look the hottest when you're wearing nothing at all," Baze continued, reaching for Cate.

Cate pushed him away. "We don't have time. We cannot be late."

Baze's expression sobered. "You're right." He changed out of the dirty jeans he'd thrown on and T-shirt.

Cate stole a glance at him, admiring his hard muscles.

Baze caught her looking and grinned.

Cate blushed and looked down.

Baze put a suit he'd picked up that morning on. When Cate saw him, her jaw almost dropped. She was so used to seeing him in casual clothes. She'd almost forgotten how good he cleaned up.

"You look nice," Cate said when Lux came downstairs.

"Thanks," Lux replied. She looked at Cate and smirked. "You look Amish."

Baze chuckled.

Cate shot him a dirty look.

The car ride to Fern's office was filled with tension. No one spoke. Lux fidgeted nervously in the backseat.


	23. Truth and Consequences

**Note: I started writing this and it was going to be similar to Family Therapized. They were going to deal with different issues in a little bit different way and then Fern was going to let Cate keep Lux and approve Baze for joint custody. Then, I read reviews and someone had suggested I handle it differently and they not be allowed to keep Lux. I started a second version, which is this chapter, based on that suggestion. Please let me know what you guys think. I can go with the original or keep playing with this idea. I have a few ideas for both. Thanks.

* * *

**

"I'd like to speak to Lux first," Fern said.

Lux followed Fern into her office and sat down.

"What did you do last night?" Fern asked.

Lux didn't think answering _my boyfriend_ would go over well. Then, she remembered what Baze had said about being honest. She bit her lip. She wondered if Cate would tell Fern that she'd caught Lux with Bug. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to cry.

"Lux, this evaluation is to determine what's best for you. You don't have anything to be afraid of," Fern said, sensing Lux's discomfort.

"We both know that's not true," Lux retorted. "I've been to these evaluations loads of times. I know the chances of staying with Cate aren't that great."

"How do you feel about that?" Fern asked.

"How do you think I feel?" Lux shot back. "I waited thirteen years to get a family and now that I have one, I'm going to lose them."

"Are you scared of losing Cate?" Fern asked gently.

Lux nodded.

"Why?" Fern pressed.

"'Cause I know what the chances of staying together are," Lux said sadly.

"Aside from the evaluation, are you scared of losing Cate?" Fern asked.

Lux hesitated.

"Lux?" Fern said, her voice stern.

"I don't know. Maybe. A little," Lux admitted sheepishly.

"Why?" Fern pressed.

"She doesn't trust me. I'm not doing well in school and she's really smart. I'm not…" Lux trailed off, not wanting to say what she was thinking aloud.

"You're not what, Lux?" Fern demanded.

Lux reddened and looked down. "Good enough," she mumbled.

"Everyone makes mistakes," Fern said gently. "Has Cate made any mistakes?"

"Things have been pretty good lately," Lux said softly.

"Do you want to stay with Cate?" Fern asked.

"Yeah." Lux nodded.

* * *

Baze and Cate sat in hard plastic chairs. Cate tapped her fingers nervously, unable to sit still.

Baze grabbed her hand, linking his fingers with hers.

Cate squeezed Baze's hand. It felt good to have him there with her. She didn't know if she could get through this alone.

"It'll be OK," Baze said quietly.

"Our daughter's a klepto who's failing junior high!" Cate shook her head. "Fern's never going to let us keep her."

"Think positive," Baze said. "We don't know what Lux's grades were like before. And you're helping her. I think we should focus on what we're doing to make things better."

Cate smiled slightly. "Sometimes you're pretty smart."

Baze grinned cockily.

"You know, for a meathead quarterback," Cate added, not wanting the compliment to go to his head.

Baze laughed.

The mood lightened momentarily, but when Fern and Lux emerged from Fern's office, both parents stiffened.

Cate tried to gauge Lux's mood, but the teen's face betrayed no sign of emotion.

Fern turned to Baze and Cate. She frowned. "Is this your boyfriend?"

"It's…complicated," Cate said.

"This is my dad, Baze," Lux introduced Baze.

Baze smiled slightly and offered his hand.

Fern shook it, studying him carefully. Cate hadn't mentioned that Lux's father would be in the picture. Cate was the only one who had custodial rights.

"I'd like to talk to Cate next," Fern said.

Cate followed Fern into her office.

"Does Baze live with you?" Fern asked.

"No," Cate said quickly.

"Does Lux ever stay with him?" Fern asked.

"No," Cate replied.

Fern changed the subject. "How have things been going with Lux?"

Cate hesitated. "They've been better."

"Tell me what's been going on," Fern said. She was wondering if Cate would be honest about Lux's grades.

"You mean other than me picking Lux up from the police station for stealing?" Cate said sarcastically.

"How do you feel about that?" Fern asked curiously.

"Not good," Cate muttered. "I just, I don't know what to do."

Cate bit her lip. She shouldn't have admitted that.

"What did you do after you picked Lux up?" Fern asked.

Confusion creased Cate's brow. "We went home."

"Did you talk to her?" Fern asked pointedly.

"Of course we talked," Cate replied.

"And?" Fern pressed.

"Lux told me she wasn't stealing. I don't know if I believe her," Cate said truthfully.

"Lux is a teenager. She needs boundaries. Did you give her any consequences for stealing?" Fern asked.

"Not really, no," Cate admitted.

Fern frowned. "Why don't you believe her? Has she lied to you?"

Cate hesitated. This wasn't going well at all. Telling Fern that Lux lied about conferences and forged Cate's signature might be the nail in the coffin. On the other hand, things couldn't get much worse. Maybe she should take Baze's advice and hope showing that she was trying to make things better would impress Fern.

"Lux didn't tell me about parent-teacher conferences. The school called at the last minute and Baze and I went. She's not doing well. I'm going to start helping her with her homework and find a tutor," Cate said.

"Did you give Lux any consequences for lying? For her grades?" Fern asked.

"I talked to her," Cate said softly.

"You talked to her? That's all?" Fern asked.

Cate nodded.

Fern frowned and jotted down a few notes before walking Cate out.

"Baze?" Fern held her office door open.

"How long have you had contact with Lux?" Fern asked once they sat down.

"For a few months," Baze replied.

"Did Cate ask you to be part of Lux's life?" Fern wondered.

"No. Lux found me and I wanted a relationship with her," Baze explained.

"Yet you didn't file for joint custody?" Fern asked skeptically.

Baze frowned. "I didn't need to. Cate's been cool about me being in her life."

"I don't have any of your information. Tell me about yourself," Fern said.

"I own my own business. I have flexible hours, so I can spend time with Lux," Baze offered.

"What kind of business?" Fern asked.

"A bar," Baze said.

Fern frowned. "Has Lux been in your bar?"

"Yeah," Baze replied.

"So she has access to alcohol?" Fern concluded.

"What? No, of course not. When she's been in my bar, I've been with her the whole time," Baze assured Fern.

"Where do you live?" Fern asked.

Baze hesitated. "Above my bar," he admitted.

Fern looked alarmed. "Does Lux have a room there?"

"No. She's only stayed over a few times and she stayed on the couch," Baze said.

Fern raised her eyebrows. "She's stayed with you? Even though you're not approved for physical custody?"

"Just twice," Baze said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

* * *

Fern's expression was grave when she met with Lux, Cate and Baze.

Lux sat in between Cate and Baze, clutching their hands. Cate sat on the edge of her seat, anxiously awaiting Fern's decision. Baze loosened his tie nervously. He felt hot and sweaty, a consequence of nerves.

"Based on what I've seen today, I cannot recommend that Lux remain in your custody," Fern announced.

"What?" Baze demanded angrily.

Cate's face fell. Tears stung her eyes.

"So much for _you don't have anything to be afraid of_," Lux said sarcastically, venom in her voice.

"It's my job to determine what's best for you and I do not think staying with Cate is what's best for you," Fern said firmly.

"Then you suck at your job. How can you possibly think I'm better off in foster care than with my parents?" Lux shot back angrily.

Lux stormed out of Fern's office.

"I know we're not perfect parents," Cate said," But do you really think Lux is better off in a girl's home than with us? We are trying!"

"You're failing to set boundaries or give Lux consequences. Lux needs guardians she respects who can control her. You obviously can't. She's been caught stealing. She's lying to you. She's doing poorly in school," Fern said.

"Lux has stayed at Baze's twice even though he is not approved for custody. Baze lives above a bar, giving Lux access to alcohol," Fern continued.

"She hasn't had a family for thirteen years. We can give her the one thing no one else ever has," Baze protested.

Fern shook her head. "I'll drive Lux to your house to get her things and then take her to Sunnyvale. You can have visitations with Lux, but she cannot live with you."

Cate leaned into Baze for support. They followed Fern to the waiting room, but Lux was nowhere to be found.

They went to Cate's house, hoping Lux had gone home. But she wasn't there either.

They checked Baze's. Fern surveyed the bar, unimpressed. Jaime and Math told Baze that Lux hadn't stopped by.

"Can you think of anywhere else she would go?" Fern asked.

"No," Cate replied.

Fern narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Let me know if you hear from her."

When Fern left, Cate sank down into a barstool.

Baze leaned on the bar, burying his face in his hands. He poured them each a tequila shot. They both downed their shots, hoping it would numb the pain.

There wasn't enough tequila in the world to numb this kind of pain. Cate felt like a complete failure. She'd always been a perfectionist. She'd been the student who _had_ to get all A's. She'd taken her job too seriously at first, trying desperately to prove herself. But somehow she'd managed to fail at the single most important thing: Being a mom.

It would be one thing if Cate had failed at something that only affected her, but this hurt her daughter who had already been through so much.

Baze didn't know what to do. He felt he was to blame. It had been Baze who advised them to be honest. Maybe they were too honest. Baze definitely should have kept his mouth shut about Lux staying at his place. And what was he thinking mentioning his job?

"Where do you think Lux is?" Baze asked.

"I don't know. Tasha's at Sunnyvale. Bug's in foster care. She doesn't have any friends at Westmonte. I don't know where she would go," Cate said truthfully.

"Do you think she'll go back to your place?" Baze wondered.

Cate shrugged helpessly.


	24. Restless Night

"Lux?" Cate called hopefully as she opened the front door.

She and Baze had decided that she should go home in case Lux went home and Baze would stay at his place in case Lux went there.

Cate hated the idea of spending the night alone. Tonight of all nights she didn't want to be alone. But, she didn't want to risk them not being there if Lux showed up.

Cate went up to the attic to double check that Lux wasn't there. The sight of Lux's empty bed caused fresh tears to well up in Cate's eyes.

Cate noticed that the stuffed bear she'd bought for Lux's first birthday was sitting on Lux's bed and smiled slightly. She sat down on Lux's bed and picked the bear up.

She'd missed too many birthdays. Too many Christmases. There was no way she was going to miss more.

Baze was going to talk to the lawyer tomorrow. There had to be something they could do to keep Lux. There just had to be.

The house felt so empty without Lux. Cate wondered where Lux was. If she was OK.

Cate lay down on Lux's bed and cried herself to sleep. It was a restless night. She kept waking up, checking to see if Lux had come home. Every time she was disappointed to find the house still empty.

* * *

Baze reached for the phone for the tenth time that night, fighting the urge to call Cate.

He knew she was probably asleep. It was 3:25 am.

He hadn't been able to sleep at all. He missed having Cate next to him.

And then there was Lux. Where was she? Baze didn't think he'd be able to rest until they found her.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, Baze gave up and got in his Jeep. He drove around aimlessly, hoping to find Lux.

Every time Baze saw a human figure, he pulled over. He saw countless homeless people. He was surprised to see a homeless teen sleeping in an alley. He shuddered, wondering if Lux was sleeping on the street.

Baze drove around downtown Portland by his bar and then he drove around near Sunnyvale, but he didn't find Lux.

When the coffee shop opened at 5:00 am, Baze stopped for coffee. Out of habit, he ordered his usual and Cate's favorite.

Baze didn't want to wake Cate, so he let himself in with the spare key that was under the flowerpot. He sat down on the couch, waiting anxiously for Cate to wake up.

Cate was lying in Lux's bed when she heard the front door open. She hurried downstairs.

"Oh, it's you," Cate said sadly when she saw Baze.

"You don't have to sound so disappointed," Baze commented, offering Cate the coffee.

"It's not that. I was just hoping it was Lux," Cate explained, sipping the coffee gratefully.

"I know," Baze said gently. He noticed the bags under Cate's eyes. "Rough night?"

Cate nodded.

"Me too. I drove around looking for Lux," Baze said.

Cate leaned in to Baze, resting her head on his shoulder. Baze put his arm around her reassuringly. They sat there exhausted. Neither of them knew what to do next.

After what seemed like hours sitting there, Baze stood up. "I'm going to see the lawyer."

"I'm coming," Cate decided.

Cate changed quickly. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. She looked awful, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything except getting Lux back.

* * *

Lux left Fern's office. She didn't know where she was going. She just knew she had to get out of there. She was not going back to foster care, she decided.

Lux wandered around in a daze. She couldn't believe this had happened.

She felt stupid for getting her hopes up.

Every time she'd gotten her hopes up that a foster family would choose her, they'd chosen a little kid instead. No one wanted a teenager.

And when the rare foster family did choose Lux and she'd dared to hope that things would be different, she'd been disappointed. The family had only wanted the check from the state. Or a live-in maid. Or a full-time nanny for their real kids.

No more. She was done with that.

Lux resolved to never get hopes up again. If she always expected the worst, she wouldn't be this disappointed again.

Lux looked around. She didn't know where she was. She tried to get her bearings and realized she'd wandered for several miles.

She'd been so lost in thought, she hadn't noticed. Her feet ached. She felt exhausted, emotionally and physically.

All Lux wanted to do was go home and go to bed, but she knew she couldn't. If she went back to Cate's, Fern would take her back to Sunnyvale.

Lux sat down on a bench by the beach. The sound of the waves crashing violently against the rocky shore seemed fitting. She stared out at the water, trying to figure out what to do next.

She didn't have any friends she could stay with. She didn't have much money.

Lux's stomach growled. She realized it was dark. She continued walking, looking for somewhere to get a bite to eat.

Eventually Lux stumbled upon a café. She ordered a sandwich and asked the cashier if she could use the phone. Not knowing who else to call, Lux dialed Bug.

Bug parked his bike in front of the café and hurried in. "Hey. Where have you been? I was worried about you."

Confusion wrinkled Lux's brow.

"Fern asked me if I'd seen or heard from you. She said you were missing," Bug explained. "She talked to Tasha, too."

"Fern was going to send me back to foster care. I'm not going back," Lux said firmly.

Bug smiled sympathetically. "You know you don't have a choice."

"It doesn't have to be that way. Fern can't make me go back if she doesn't know where I am," Lux said defiantly.

Bug frowned. "Where are you gonna go? She'll check Cate's."

"I know." Lux sighed. "I don't know where I'm going to go, but there is no way in hell I'm going back to foster care."

"We could run away together," Bug suggested.

"You'd leave Portland for me?" Lux asked, touched.

Bug grinned and nodded.

Lux intertwined her hand with his. "I don't want to leave Portland. Do you think we can stay under the radar?"

Bug thought for a moment. "No one will miss me if I ditch my foster parents. I don't know where we can stay, though."

Lux dug through her purse and counted the bills in her wallet. "I have like a hundred dollars. Can we stay at a motel?"

Bug drove back toward Sunnyvale. They knew that a reputable hotel would never allow two minors, neither of which had a credit card, to reserve a room.

Once they were in a bad part of town, they began looking for a rent-by-the-hour type of motel that would have a don't ask, don't tell policy. It didn't take them long to find one.

"Maybe you should wait outside," Bug suggested.

Lux nodded.

Bug entered the manager's office as though he owned the place. "Hey, man. I need a room. I'm not sure how long I'll be in town."

The manager barely looked up from his computer screen. "It's $45 a night."

Bug slipped the money Lux had given him to the manager.

"You're in Room 202," The manager handed Bug a key.

Bug emerged from the office and held the key out to Lux triumphantly. Lux smiled slightly, relieved she had a place to stay.

Her relief diminished slightly when they unlocked the door. The room left a lot to be desired.

It was about the size of Lux's closet at Cate's house. The bedspread had several questionable stains on it. Lux folded the bedspread back, careful to avoid the stains.

Bug laughed at Lug's disgusted expression. "We've both slept in worse," he reminded her.

Lux nodded. "That's for sure. Anything is better than Sunnyvale."

Lux cuddled into Bug. She wanted to be held. She just wanted Bug to fix everything.

Bug wrapped his arms around Lux. "What are you thinking about?"

Lux sighed. "I didn't think this through. The hundred dollars won't last long. I don't have any of my stuff. All I have is the clothes on my back. Literally."

Bug kissed Lux gently.

Lux pulled Bug's shirt off and then tore at his jeans. She wanted to be with him. She needed him to love her.

Bug held Lux close to him after they finished.

Lux snuggled against Bug's chest. She turned slightly so they were facing each other. "How much do you make a week?"

Bug smirked. Stealing car stereos didn't exactly bring in a predictable weekly salary. "Usually a couple hundred," he estimated.

"I can't go to school. If I find a job, do you think we can afford to stay here?" Lux asked hopefully. She knew the minute she went to school, Fern would find out and she'd wind up back in foster care.

"No one's gonna hire a fourteen year old," Bug replied.

"So I won't tell them I'm fourteen. I'll say I'm sixteen," Lux decided.

"It can't hurt to try," Bug said. "You can't tell anyone your real age, though. And you should probably use a different name. Lux is too unusual."

"I don't have a middle name," Lux said thoughtfully, trying to choose a name to use.

"Have you ever had a nickname?" Bug wondered.

"No," Lux replied.

"What would Cate have named you? You know, if she hadn't given you away?" Bug asked.

"I don't know. I don't think she ever really thought about it. She always planned on giving me away," Lux said.

"The name Lux is because you have light hair," Bug said thoughtfully. "What about Betty?"

"Betty?" Lux smirked. "I don't know anyone named Betty. It's not the fifties."

"I don't hear you coming up with any suggestions," Bug shot back.

Lux racked her brain for possibilities. She went through "family" names. She didn't like the name Laverne or Abby. Ryan had mentioned a sister, Elizabeth, once. "Elizabeth."

"Way to be original. Bug smirked. Elizabeth was one of the most common names.

"Isn't that kind of the point?" Lux retorted.

Bug grinned. "So…Elizabeth?"

Lux nodded.

* * *

"You want to go get your stuff from Cate's while she's at work, Elizabeth?" Bug asked when they woke up.

Lux yawned. "You don't think Fern will be, like, watching Cate's house?"

Bug smirked. "She's a social worker, not a CIA agent. I think you'll be OK."

Lux punched Bug lightly. He tickled her. He pinned her down and kissed her playfully. Lux giggled.

Bug pulled up to Cate's. Lux saw Cate and Baze's cars parked in front of the house and stiffened. "Keep going. Cate's here," she whispered to Bug.

Bug drove down the block and stopped once they were safely out of sight.

"She must have taken the day off," Lux thought aloud.

They waited to see if Cate would leave. Lux needed to grab some clothes. They were about to give up when Cate and Baze got in Baze's Jeep and took off.

"Finally," Bug muttered.

Lux felt like she was breaking and entering when she opened the door to Cate's house. She kept darting nervous glances around, half-expecting Fern and Cate to appear.

Bug followed Lux up to the attic. Lux hastily threw as many clothes as she could fit into a duffel bag.

Bug studied the room. "There's a lot of stuff in this house that we could pawn."

Lux shot Bug a warning glance. "I'm not stealing from Cate."

"I bet she wouldn't even miss most of this stuff. Anyway, she bought it for you," Bug tried again.

Lux frowned. She didn't feel right taking anything from Cate's house. But, she knew that if she didn't want to go back to foster care, she needed money to live off.

She resolved not to take anything that belonged to Cate's. She looked around her bedroom for anything that might be worth something.

"What about these?" Bug held up a pair of gold earrings, one of the gifts Cate had bought for Lux before she even knew Lux.

Lux hesitated. The gifts actually meant something to her, but the jewelry looked expensive and they needed money. She nodded regretfully.

Bug pocketed the jewelry box.

As they were about to leave, Lux noticed the stuffed bear sitting on her bed. It was also one of the gifts Cate had bought for her. She knew it was stupid, but she'd been sleeping with it. She added it to her duffel bag.

"Let's get out of here," Bug said, not wanting to get caught.

Lux cast one last glace around Cate's house. It hadn't taken long to feel like home. It was the first place that had ever really felt like home. Lux swallowed.

She shut the door and locked it behind her. She knew she was also shutting the door on her time with Cate and leaving it behind as she rode away on Bug's bike. She fought back tears, not wanting Bug to see her cry.

They stopped at a diner near the motel to get lunch.

"Hi. My name's Laura. I'll be your waitress. What can I get for you guys?" Laura asked when she approached their booth.

"I'll have a burger and fries," Bug replied.

"I'll have the same," Lux said. She hesitated. "Are you hiring?"

Laura studied Lux. "How old are you?"

Lux avoided Laura's gaze. "I'm sixteen."

Laura failed to hide her surprise. "You're in school all day," she said.

Lux debated what to say. She didn't think saying she'd dropped out would get her the job. She settled on a different lie. "No. I'm homeschooled so my schedule is pretty flexible."

Laura nodded thoughtfully. "We could use the help. I'll check with the owner, Les."

"Thanks," Lux said gratefully.

After about ten minutes, an older man with graying hair appeared. He smiled at Lux. "Are you the young lady who's interested in a job?"

"Yes." Lux nodded.

"I'm Les." Les offered his hand.

Lux struggled to come up with a name off the top of her head. "I'm L-" Lux started to say her name, but stopped when Bug kicked her under the table. "Liz," Lux amended.

"It's nice to meet you. Do you have any waitressing experience?" Les asked kindly.

Lux frowned. "No," she admitted.

"I'll tell you what. You can start tomorrow at eleven am. Our afternoons are usually slower," Les said.

"Really? That's great! Thanks!" Lux said, surprised it had worked out.

* * *

Cate squeezed Baze's hand as they left the lawyer's office. "Thanks," she whispered.

Baze looked surprised. "Of course."

The lawyer was appealing Fern's decision. He believed they would reinstate Cate's physical custody.

Cate had a good job, enough money to support Lux and was Lux's biological mother.

The lawyer had asked if Cate had a history of drug or alcohol abuse. Baze had laughed aloud at the thought of goody-goody Cate Cassidy doing drugs. When Cate answered no, the lawyer said he didn't see any reason why a judge wouldn't grant her custody.

As Cate got into Baze's Jeep, she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She hadn't lost Lux forever. Now they just needed to find Lux.

"Do you think Lux is OK?" Cate asked.

"Yeah. She has to be," Baze said, though he didn't sound convinced.

They drove back to Cate's in silence, each preoccupied with thoughts of Lux.

Cate unlocked the door. "Lux?" She called out.

Baze frowned. "She's not here, Cate."

Cate nodded. "I know." Still, she found herself climbing the attic stairs looking for Lux.

She stopped when she entered Lux's room. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something felt off. She sat down on Lux's bed, looking around.

After a moment, she realized the stuffed bear was missing. Had she moved it and forgotten?

Cate dismissed the thought. She had more important things to worry about than a stupid stuffed animal. She went back down to the living room.

Cate shook her head. "No sign of Lux."

"What do we do now?" Baze wondered.

"I don't know," Cate admitted. "I guess we should call Fern and see if she found Lux."

"She's not exactly my favorite person right now." Baze grimaced.

"Me either," Cate said emphatically. Still, she picked up the phone and dialed Fern's number, not knowing what else to do.

"Fern? Hi, it's Cate Cassidy." Cate spoke into the receiver, making an effort to sound nice even though she wanted nothing more than to throttle Fern.

"Have you heard from Lux?" Fern asked immediately.

Cate sighed. If Fern was asking, she obviously hadn't found Lux. "No. I was actually hoping you had."

"No," Fern replied. "You'll let me know if you hear from her?"

"That's it?" Cate asked, not bothering to try to sound nice anymore.

"I'm doing everything I can to find Lux," Fern said defensively.

"What exactly are you doing?" Cate demanded.

"I've spoken to Bug and Tasha," Fern began.

"They hadn't heard from her?" Cate interrupted, concern dripping from her voice.

"No," Fern replied.

"What else?" Cate asked.

"I'm sorry?" Fern said.

"What else are you doing to find her?" Cate said, annoyed.

"If she's still missing after twenty-four hours, I'll report her as a runaway and the police will take over," Fern said.

"Twenty-four hours?" Cate cried out. "She's fourteen and she's out there somewhere, alone and scared. That's not good enough."

"What?" Baze mouthed, making a face.

Cate waved him off.

"I'm following procedure," Fern said defensively.

"Screw procedure," Cate muttered as she hung up the phone.

She looked at Baze, her eyes full of concern. "Fern hasn't found her. She hasn't talked to Bug or Tasha. Fern's not doing anything until it's been twenty-four hours. Then, she'll report Lux as a runaway to the police."

Baze slammed his fist down on the coffee table hard enough to hurt his hand slightly. He swore.

"If she won't find Lux, we will," Baze said firmly.

Cate opened her laptop and began typing furiously.

"What are you doing?" Baze asked.

When Cate didn't answer, he looked over her shoulder. She was looking up information on finding runaways.

"Hey, there's something." Baze motioned toward the screen. "We can make flyers and put them up."

Cate opened Word and began creating a flyer. She searched through her photos for a picture of Lux. She fought back tears when she pulled up a picture of Lux.

Lux was smiling happily, paint smeared on her face courtesy of Baze. Both Cate and Baze had their arms around her. Ryan had taken the picture.

A tear rolled down Baze's face. He wiped it away hastily, not wanting Cate to see him crying. It wasn't exactly manly.

Cate pretended not to notice, smiling slightly to herself, as she inserted the picture into the Word document.

Cate printed the flyer.

Baze waited for it to print impatiently, grabbing it as it was still coming out. "I'll take this to Kinko's. Jaime and I will put them up all over."

"Thanks." Cate smiled gratefully.


	25. Cutting Ties

**Note: I'm not a big fan of science fiction and I never watched Roswell. I guess I'm stealing a Roswell story line? I didn't know. That's probably cheesy since Shiri Appleby was in Roswell. Sorry!

* * *

**

Baze didn't return to Cate's until several hours later. He and Jaime had put flyers up all over Portland. Literally. Baze doubted if there was a square inch that didn't have a flyer.

He's spent a couple hundred dollars on the copies. He'd wanted color copies. He figured people would be more likely to recognize Lux if the photo was in color.

"Any news?" Baze asked as he let himself in.

"No," Cate said, disappointment in her voice.

"It's been twenty-four hours. Maybe we should try Fern again," Baze suggested. He didn't want to sit around doing nothing while his kid was out there somewhere.

"Because she was so helpful last time?" Cate muttered sarcastically. She picked up the phone to dial nonetheless.

"Hi, Fern. This is Cate Cassidy. I was calling to check on Lux. Please call me back as soon as you get this. It doesn't matter what time."

"Voicemail?" Baze asked when Cate hung up.

Cate nodded.

Baze frowned.

"It's after five. She's probably at home," Cate pointed out.

"How can she just go home when Lux is missing? She should be looking for Lux until she finds her," Baze said firmly.

"Lux is just one of her cases. She probably has a lot of cases. She can't spend all her time on Lux," Cate said.

"I guess you're right," Baze admitted, though he still sounded angry.

"I mean, I'm not happy about it either, but I can understand where she's coming from," Cate said.

"Have you eaten?" Baze asked. He wanted to do something. If he couldn't do anything else to find Lux, he was at least going to take care of Cate.

"No. There's leftover pizza in the fridge if you're hungry," Cate replied.

"I ate lunch with Jaime. Have you eaten anything today?" Baze said.

"I'm not really hungry," Cate said. How could she eat at a time like this?

"You can't go on a hunger strike until we find Lux," Baze said lightly.

He went into the kitchen and returned with two plates each containing a slice of pizza.

If she weren't so preoccupied with thoughts of Lux, Cate would have found it hilarious that Baze, the ultimate bachelor, was taking care of her. She'd never thought that would happen.

"Thanks," Cate said politely. She set the plate down on the coffee table without touching her pizza, though.

Baze frowned. "Cate, Lux is going to need you to be healthy when she comes home," he said reproachfully.

Cate sighed and took a bite to get Baze off her back. "There. Are you happy now?"

"Ecstatic," Baze replied. "What do you want to drink?"

"Wine," Cate said without thinking.

"I could use a drink, too," Baze said.

He poured Cate a glass of white wine and grabbed a beer for himself.

By the end of the night, Cate had emptied the bottle and several empty beer bottles cluttered the coffee table.

"We need to start staying at my place. I have more booze," Baze commented.

Cate smiled. "A perk of living above a bar?"

"Yeah, but it also means Lux has access to alcohol," Baze muttered.

Cate frowned.

Baze's face contorted. "Cate?"

Cate's expression softened. She looked at Baze and saw how much pain he was in. She reached for his hand.

"I, uh, I'm sorry," Baze said.

"For what?" Cate asked, confused.

Baze sighed. "Everything. Going to the evaluation. Telling you and Lux to be honest. Telling Fern about the bar. About Lux crashing at my place."

Cate stared at Baze. She waited for him to make eye contact. "Baze, it's not your fault Fern didn't let us keep her."

Baze could tell Cate meant what she was saying and it was exactly what he needed to hear. He kissed Cate.

Cate tore at Baze's clothes. Baze lifted Cate's dress.

* * *

Cate awoke, her body intertwined with Baze's on the living room rug. Clothes were strewn about the living room.

It took Cate a moment to realize the phone had woken her. She disentangled herself from Baze and hurried to grab the phone.

Maybe it was Fern returning her call. Or Lux. Or someone who had seen the flyers.

"Hello?" Cate said, out of breath from running for the phone.

"Cate? It's Alice," Alice said.

Cate sighed, her hopes dashed. "Oh. Hi."

"I know you're dealing with the Lux situation, but you have to come in today," Alice said.

"No. I'm a little busy. Looking for my daughter," Cate said, annoyed that Alice was even asking.

"I know and I wouldn't call unless it was important-" Alice began.

"Nothing is more important than finding Lux," Cate interrupted.

"Corporate is here," Alice said.

"What? Why?" Cate asked.

"I don't know. No one told me they were coming," Alice replied.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Cate said, defeated.

Cate selected a suit carefully, wanting to look professional. The last time she'd seen Trina from corporate, she hadn't exactly made the best impression.

She'd gotten drunk at a corporate retreat and knocked over an expensive ice sculpture, Cate remembered. The memory still made her wince.

Cate spent more time than usual on her make-up. No matter how hard she tried, Cate couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes. It had been a rough few days.

Cate quickly scrawled a note for Baze.

_Had to go to work. Corporate showed up. Be back as soon as I can._

Cate hesitated, not sure how to sign the note. She decided not to sign it, unsure what her relationship status with Baze was, and grabbed her keys.

Cate hurried into the station.

* * *

"Cate." Trina acknowledged Cate, her tone icy.

Cate forced a smiled. "Trina! Hi! So good to see you again."

"There are no words," Trina said. She certainly wouldn't use the word _good_ to describe seeing Cate again.

"What brings you here?" Ryan asked curiously.

"You," Trina replied.

"I'm sorry?" Cate said, confused.

"Ratings are down. Way down," Trina said.

Cate and Ryan exchanged a nervous look.

"I'll be watching," Trina said, as she left the booth to watch and listen from Alice's office.

"She hates me," Cate muttered as soon as Trina was out of earshot.

Ryan smirked. "Can you blame her?"

"Hey, I resent that. I'm likeable," Cate said, tossing a stress ball she found on the desk at Ryan.

"I agree. When you're not drunkenly vandalizing a corporate retreat," Ryan teased, catching the stress ball.

"It was one ice sculpture!" Cate protested.

"What about last year's Drink a Date? You were trashed," Ryan said, laughing.

"I was a mess," Cate admitted, laughing at herself.

"A hot mess," Ryan corrected.

Cate stared at Ryan.

"I know we're…going through a rough patch, but if you need anything, let me know," Ryan said.

Cate frowned. "A rough patch?"

"We should talk," Ryan said, reaching for Cate's hand.

Cate pulled her hand away. "You thought I cheated on you."

"With good reason," Ryan said defensively.

Cate shook her head. "I was wrong and I apologized. But, there's no good reason for you to act the way you did."

"You lied to me," Ryan accused.

"Yeah, and instead of giving me a chance to explain, you assumed the worst. You showed up at my house and punched Baze," Cate pointed out.

"I thought you were with him," Ryan said, hurt in his voice.

"I was. At parent-teacher conferences. He's Lux's father!" Cate said.

"You slept in his bed. That goes way beyond co-parenting," Ryan retorted.

Cate sighed. "I apologized! I don't know how many times I can say I'm sorry."

"I want to forgive you," Ryan said quietly.

"I want you to forgive me, too. I want to be friends," Cate said.

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "Friends?"

Cate swallowed. She didn't want to hurt Ryan, but she knew now with absolute certainty that she didn't want to be with him. "Yeah."

Ryan stiffened. "I understand."

Cate breathed a sigh of relief, glad Ryan wasn't going to belabor the conversation. She picked up her microphone. "Good morning, Portland! This is Cate."

"And Ryan. You're listening to Morning Madness," Ryan chimed in.

"Ryan and I have been up since the crack of dawn," Cate said.

"Usually Cate's going to bed at this hour after a long night," Ryan said lightly.

Cate shot Ryan a dirty look, but continued bantering lightheartedly for the listeners. "And usually Ryan's waking up alone."

Ryan's face hardened. "Of course we all know Cate wakes up with a different guy every morning. Who was it this morning?"

"Actually, Ryan, it wasn't a different guy. It was the same one I've been seeing for awhile now," Cate said.

"What's this I hear? Don't tell me Cate Cassidy has finally gotten over her commitment issues," Ryan said.

"I wouldn't go that far," Cate said lightly.

They cut to commercial.

"What is this?" Ryan demanded.

"You started it," Cate said.

"Yeah, well, you definitely finished it," Ryan muttered.

Cate sighed. She hadn't meant to hurt Ryan. She was just getting tired of him using the radio show to attack her. "I'm sorry."

"Are you really seeing someone else?" Ryan asked quietly.

Cate hesitated. Lying hadn't gotten her very far in the past. "Yeah."

Ryan's expression was pained.

Cate decided that if she was being honest, she might as well tell Ryan the whole truth. He was already hurt and it would be worse if he found out later. "I'm seeing Baze."

"How long?" Ryan asked.

"What?" Cate said.

"How long have you been seeing him for?" Ryan demanded.

"Baze and I didn't start seeing each other until after we broke up," Cate said carefully.

Ryan didn't look satisfied with Cate's answer, but the commercials were ending.

Cate made a snap decision. She knew it might be a career killer, but she had to try it.

Cate picked up her microphone. "I may have commitment issues-"

"That's an understatement," Ryan said lightly.

"But there is one person I'm completely committed to," Cate continued.

Ryan stared at her in disbelief. Was she really going to announce her relationship with Baze on the air?

"My daughter Lux," Cate said firmly. "She's missing. I just posted her picture on our website. If anyone has seen her, please call."

Ryan darted a nervous glance at Trina, knowing Cate's announcement wouldn't go over well.

Sure enough, Trina appeared behind them and she did not look happy.

Ryan looked at Trina helplessly. He knew Cate was desperate to find Lux, but Ryan had worked way too hard to have her single-handedly end his career.

* * *

Lux woke up before her alarm. She was nervous for her first day at work. She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Bug.

Lux studied the shower, wondering when it had last been cleaned. It did _not_ look clean.

Rust spotted the porcelain tub. Lux noticed mold on the tile walls. She decided to wear flip flops in the shower.

Lux tuned the radio to Cate's station so she could listen while she showered. She grinned when she heard Cate's voice. She missed Cate so badly it hurt.

Lux showered quickly, trying to avoid touching the wall or shower curtain. She froze when she heard Cate ask for help finding Lux.

Lux dressed and left, leaving a note for Bug.

_Went to work early. Have a good day._

_ Love,_

_ Lux_

Lux had a few stops to make.

First, she went to the library to use a computer. She found the radio station website easily and searched for her picture.

She smiled when she saw the picture, remembering the night she, Cate, Baze and Ryan had painted her room. Her smile faded quickly, though. She knew that this picture and Cate's little announcement would make staying under the radar difficult.

If people recognized her, she would be back in foster care, Lux thought miserably.

Lux headed to the drug store next. She found a disposable cell phone. She wanted to call Cate and let her know that she was OK. She couldn't use the phone at the motel or diner because of called ID.

On her way to the register, Lux passed hair color. She didn't want to dye her hair, but she knew it would make it much less likely that she'd be recognized.

Lux browsed the aisle. She was drawn to the lighter shades, but knew she needed a more drastic change.

Lux picked up a few browns and compared them. She settled on one that was close to Cate's hair color. Maybe it would look good on Lux, too, Lux thought hopefully.

* * *

"Hi," Lux said, smiling when she saw Laura.

"Hi. Les isn't here yet. He asked me to train you," Laura said. She led Lux back behind the counter and handed her an apron.

Lux put the apron on. Laura helped her tie it.

Then Laura showed Lux how to work the register.

Lux mainly shadowed Laura for the next hour. As the diner got busier for lunch, Laura occasionally let Lux take an order on her own.

"Hi. How's it going?" Les said when he showed up a few hours later.

Lux smiled. "I'm getting the hang of it."

"Good," Les said.

Lux ignored her growling stomach and worked through the afternoon, not wanting to ask for a break.

"You can take off, Liz."

Lux didn't respond. She continued wiping down a booth.

"Liz?" Les was looking at Lux strangely.

Lux ignored him, grabbing an empty coffee mug and taking it back to the sink.

"Liz!" Les said loudly.

Lux finally realized Les had been talking to her. She wasn't used to listening for Liz. She blushed. "Sorry."

Les frowned. "You can take off. Same time tomorrow?"

"I'll be here," Lux promised.

Lux walked to the beach after work. She dialed Cate's number on the disposable cell phone.

Cate grabbed her phone the instant it rang. "Hello?"

Lux smiled when she heard Cate's voice. "Cate?"

"Lux? Oh my gosh, are you OK?" Cate cried out.

"I'm OK," Lux assured Cate.

"Where are you?" Cate asked.

Lux hung up immediately. She couldn't tell Cate where she was.

"Lux?" Cate said frantically. "Lux!"

Cate hung up and called the number Lux had called from.

Lux saw Cate's number pop up and frowned. She threw the phone into a trash can and took off.


	26. Bad Timing

Cate tried the number Lux had called from five times before giving up.

"What's wrong?" Baze asked when he saw Cate's face.

"Lux called. She's OK," Cate said dully.

"That's good, right?" Baze said, confused.

"I don't know. She didn't tell me where she was. She hung up on me. She's not answering the number she called from. I just, I don't know what to do," Cate said.

"How did she sound?" Baze asked.

Cate stared at him. "Like Lux."

Baze rolled his eyes. "Did she sound happy or upset?"

Cate shrugged. "She said all of three words to me."

"Did you hear any background noises?" Baze asked hopefully.

Cate thought for a moment. "It sounded like she was at the beach."

"At the beach. Jaime, Math and I will go to the beach. Maybe someone saw her," Baze said hopefully.

"Should I call Fern? Or the police?" Cate wondered aloud.

"Maybe you should call Fern. She wanted us to call if we heard from Lux. It can't hurt to play by the rules. Show her that we're responsible," Baze replied.

* * *

"Fern? Hi, it's Cate Cassidy," Cate said.

"Hi," Fern said unenthusiastically. Cate had been calling non-stop asking about Lux.

"You said to let you know if we heard from Lux and she called today," Cate said.

"What did she say?" Fern asked.

"Not much. She just said she's OK," Cate replied.

"Did she say where she is?" Fern asked.

"No. She hung up when I asked," Cate said.

"What number did she call from?" Fern asked.

Cate gave Fern the number.

"Thanks for letting me know," Fern said.

"You're welcome," Cate said, trying to be civil. "Do you think you'll be able to find her? You know, now that you have the number?"

"I don't know. I'll keep you posted," Fern said.

"Thanks," Cate said.

* * *

When Lux got back to the motel, Bug was still sleeping. Lux rolled her eyes. She'd worked all day and Bug hadn't even gotten out of bed.

Lux flipped the lights on.

Bug rubbed his eyes, stretching lazily. "Hey."

"Have you been in bed all day?" Lux asked.

"Yeah." Bug grinned. "How was work?"

"OK." Lux shrugged.

"You just get off?" Bug asked, glancing at the clock.

Lux hesitated. "No. I, uh, went to the beach to call Cate."

"You did what?" Bug asked angrily.

"I had to tell her I'm OK," Lux said softly.

"Haven't you ever seen Law and Order? How stupid are you? They can trace calls," Bug muttered.

Lux made a face. "I'm not stupid. I used a disposable cell phone and threw it away at the beach."

Bug looked unconvinced.

"Where do you want to go for dinner?" Lux changed the subject.

"Somewhere cheap," Bug replied.

Lux frowned. She'd paid for everything and she was the only one working. It wasn't worth it to argue with Bug, though. "I think I saw a pizza place a few blocks away."

"Turn here," Lux said from the back of Bug's bike.

Bug obliged and they drove down the street, looking for the pizza place. They didn't see it.

"I thought you said you knew where this place was," Bug said angrily.

"I could've sworn it was around here. Try the next street," Lux said.

They found the restaurant on the next street. Lux ordered plain cheese and Bug ordered the all meat pizza. When they got to the register, Bug looked at Lux expectantly.

Lux frowned, but paid.

After they ate, Lux turned to Bug. "Do you think I'd look good as a brunette?"

"You always look good." Bug smiled flirtatiously.

"Seriously. I think I'm gonna dye my hair so I'm less recognizable," Lux said.

"Way to overreact," Bug said lightly.

"Cate posted my picture on the station website and made an announcement on air," Lux said defensively.

"That's just great," Bug muttered.

"She's worried," Lux said softly. "It's not a big deal. No one will recognize me after I dye my hair."

Bug helped Lux with the hair color. Lux watched the clock anxiously, wanting to leave it in for exactly the right amount of time. She'd never dyed her hair and was terrified that it would turn out awful. What if it turned red or something?

Lux rinsed her hair and climbed out of the shower. She closed her eyes, afraid to look in the mirror. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

Lux breathed a sigh of relief. Her hair was a pretty shade of brunette. She actually looked kind of like Cate. Lux smiled at the thought.

"What do you think?" Lux asked Bug when she emerged from the bathroom.

"You look hot," Bug observed.

Lux giggled.

"What are you waiting for? Get over here," Bug said.

Lux got in bed with Bug. Bug rolled on top of her, kissing her hard.

* * *

Baze didn't get back to Cate's until late. Cate had fallen asleep on the couch. Baze smiled and covered her with a blanket.

Cate's eyes fluttered open and she sat up.

"Sorry. I tried not to wake you," Baze murmured.

"It's OK. Any luck?" Cate asked hopefully.

Baze shook his head. "What time did Lux call? I'm gonna go back tomorrow at that time and try again."

Cate felt for her phone on the side table. Her phone had been within reach since Lux ran away.

She scrolled through her call history. "Around six-thirty."

Baze frowned. "What was she doing all day?"

"I think she listened to the show," Cate said thoughtfully, stifling a yawn.

"Why?" Baze asked.

"I think that's why she called. She knew I was worried because she heard me on the radio," Cate replied.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Baze said. "What did Fern say when you called her?"

"She doesn't know if she'll be able to find Lux with the phone number," Cate said.

Baze frowned. "I'll call my dad tomorrow. He has friends at the police station. Maybe he can help."

Cate smiled gratefully. "Baze?"

"Yeah?" Baze said.

"Thanks. For everything. I don't think I could've gotten through these last few days without you," Cate said.

"You don't have to thank me. Of course I'm going to be here for you and Lux," Baze said, running a hand through his hair. He noticed how tired Cate looked. "Let's get you in bed."

Baze grabbed Cate's hand and led her to her bedroom. She fell asleep as soon as her head the pillow, cuddling into Baze.

* * *

Cate wanted nothing more than to press the snooze button on her alarm clock when it went off at 4:00 am. She could stay in Baze's arms forever.

Cate sighed as she got out of bed. She knew she had to go to work today. Trina's timing couldn't have been worse.

"Hi," Cate said tentatively when she slipped into her chair. She didn't know how Ryan would act.

"Hi." Ryan smiled.

Cate breathed a sigh of relief. Ryan seemed to be handling her rejection well.

"Any news on Lux?" Ryan asked.

"She called, but she hung up without telling me where she was," Cate said sadly.

"At least you know she's OK," Ryan said. Instinctively he began rubbing Cate's back comfortingly, but he felt her tense up. He moved away awkwardly. Massages were more of a boyfriend job.

Alice stuck her head in. "Trina wants to meet with us after the show in the conference room."

"About what?" Cate asked, concerned.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Alice replied.

Cate glanced at Ryan nervously. "Do you think we should be worried about our jobs?"

"Honestly, yes," Ryan said.

Cate and Ryan wrapped up the radio show and headed to the conference room.

Trina began clicking through a Powerpoint presentation. A slide appeared with a graph showing the show's ratings. "Cate, I believe your lifestyle changed a few months ago?"

Cate stared at Trina.

"Your long-lost daughter showed up at your doorstep," Trina said, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, that's when Lux came back into my life," Cate said.

"As you can see, that's when ratings plummeted," Trina said. "Our target market is young and hip. They go out. They're dating. They can relate to the old Cate, but they can't relate to a soccer mom."

Trina clicked to another slide, which had a bar graph displaying each radio host's popularity over the last several months.

"These are the results of market research surveys. Ryan's popularity has stayed relatively stable. Cate's popularity declined steadily beginning in September," Trina said pointedly.

"How many people did you survey?" Cate asked, hoping to build a case to keep her job.

Trina smirked. "Several thousand."

Trina turned to Cate. "In the last few months, you've missed an inordinate amount of work, you've been leaving in the middle of the show to take your daughter to school and you've single-handedly caused the show to drop from the number one slot."

"I've been busy, haven't I?" Cate retorted.

Alice and Ryan glared at Cate.

"I don't know if you can continue your partnership with Ryan," Trina said to Cate, her tone snide.

"Wait. What?" Cate asked.

"You can have the rest of the week off," Trina said smugly.

"I don't understand. Am I fired?" Cate said.

"I'm exploring other options," Trina said vaguely.

"What other options?" Cate demanded anxiously.

"I'm going to try a few prospective radio hosts over the next few days and gauge the audience reaction. I'll be in touch," Trina said.

Cate turned to Ryan, expecting him to defend her but he said nothing. She shot him a dirty look as she gathered her things to leave.

Ryan didn't meet Cate's gaze.


	27. Dirty Work

"What are you doing up before noon?" John said by way of greeting.

John was on his way to work. He was about to get in his slick sports car when Baze showed up.

"I need to talk to you," Baze said.

"Now's not a good time," John replied. "I'm going to work. You should try it sometime."

Baze frowned. "It's important. Make time."

John sighed. He set his briefcase in the passenger seat of his car. "What is it that's so important it can't wait until later?"

"Your granddaughter," Baze shot back.

John frowned. "Is Lux OK?"

"I don't know," Baze replied.

"You don't know?" John sneered.

"Yeah, Dad, I don't know! Cate and I, we went to an evaluation with Lux's social worker. Her social worker revoked Cate's custody. Lux took off," Baze explained.

"How long has she been missing?" John asked.

"Forty-eight hours," Baze replied, burying his head in his hands.

"And you're just telling me about this now?" John said angrily.

"I've been a little busy looking for my kid," Baze said defensively.

"You should've called me the second Lux ran away," John admonished his son.

"Damn it, Dad! I need your help, not a lecture. Now are you going to help me find Lux? Or am I wasting my time?" Baze cried out.

"I'm going to help you," John said, taken aback.

"Lux called Cate from this phone number." Baze handed his father a slip of paper with the phone number scrawled on it. "It sounded like she was at the beach. I thought maybe you could call your friends at the police station."

John nodded. "I'll make the call. I'll also call my lawyer about custody."

"I already talked to him. He's filing an appeal," Baze said.

* * *

"You're starting early," Baze observed when he entered Cate's house.

Cate was drinking a glass of wine even though it was lunchtime.

"It's five o'clock somewhere," Cate said.

"Not here," Baze replied.

Cate sighed. "I think I just got fired."

"What do you mean you _think_ you just got fired?" Baze asked.

"Trina from Corporate, she hates me. She called a meeting after the show. She had a Powerpoint with graphs showing how unlikeable I am. She told me to take the rest of the week off while she explores other options," Cate explained.

"I'm sorry." Baze pulled Cate to him, wanting to comfort her but not knowing what to say.

Cate leaned in to Baze, her head fitting perfectly on his shoulder. "Mmm. How'd it go with your dad?"

"He's making some calls," Baze replied. "He'll keep us posted. In the meantime, why don't we go get some lunch to soak up that bottle of wine?"

Cate shoved Baze playfully, but followed him out to the Jeep.

Baze started laughing from the driver's seat.

"What's so funny?" Cate asked curiously.

"Sorry. Its just…graphs showing how unlikeable you are." Baze smirked.

"It's not funny! They surveyed thousands of people," Cate said, trying not to smile.

"They didn't survey me," Baze said softly.

The way Baze was looking at her, Cate knew Baze thought the world of her. She smiled and reached for Baze's hand.

Baze parked in front of a sports bar. "There's one rule for lunch."

Cate looked at Baze curiously.

"No talking about Lux," Baze said.

Cate frowned.

"Hear me out. We've both been driving ourselves crazy since she left. I think we both need a break. We just need to relax and take a breather," Baze said.

Cate nodded.

"Are you worried about your job?" Baze asked after they ordered sandwiches.

"Yeah," Cate replied.

"You were, like, the smartest girl at Westmonte. You're beautiful and successful. You don't have anything to worry about. If you lose this job, you'll get another one no problem," Baze assured her.

"I hope so," Cate said thoughtfully.

"You will," Baze said.

"It must be nice to be your own boss," Cate said.

"I'm not gonna lie, it's sick. Until it's time to pay the rent on the bar and I'm in the red," Baze said.

"You know what you need to do?" Cate said. "You need to have an event at the bar."

Baze scrunched his face up. "An event?"

"Yeah. When we had events for the radio show, like Drink a Date, a ton of people came. You'd make bank," Cate explained.

"Somehow I doubt your boss is gonna have her next event at my bar if you're persona non grata in her book," Baze said.

"It doesn't have to be an event for the radio show. It can be anything. A beer pong tournament. Trivia night. A karaoke contest," Cate started throwing out suggestions.

Baze grinned. "Those are good ideas."

Cate smiled. "Yeah, you can post an event calendar on your website and-"

"I don't have a website," Baze interrupted.

Cate stared at Baze. "You don't have a website? Everyone has a website! It's 2010!"

"I don't know how to make a website." Baze shrugged.

Cate rolled her eyes. "I'll help you. Ryan and I posted things to the station website all the time."

Baze's cell phone rang. Both Cate and Baze froze, the lighthearted mood immediately dissipating.

Baze glanced at called ID. It was his dad. "Dad?"

"The phone number you gave me was a disposable cell phone," John informed Baze.

"Can they get a trace on it?" Baze asked.

"They did. It was in a garbage can at the beach," John replied.

"So it's a dead end," Baze muttered.

"It gives us a starting point," John said. "I've got a PI looking for her."

"A PI?" Baze said.

"A private investigator," John replied.

"I know what a PI is," Baze said, rolling his eyes. "Do we really need one to find a fourteen year old?"

"The police don't dedicate much time to finding runaways. Unless you have any better ideas…" John trailed off.

"I'm out of ideas," Baze admitted. He hesitated. "Thanks, Dad."

Baze hung up and filled Cate in.

"Do you think he'll be able to find her?" Cate asked quietly.

"Yeah," Baze replied more because he knew it was what Cate needed to hear than because he believed it.

Cate smiled slightly.

* * *

"I'm gonna go run some errands," Cate said when they got back to her house.

"I'll go with you," Baze offered.

"No, that's OK," Cate said quickly.

Baze smiled. "I don't mind."

Cate hesitated. "I'm actually going to talk to Ryan. I just want to see if anything happened at work after I left."

Baze frowned. "Why'd you lie to me?"

"I'm sorry. I just, I'm so used to Ryan freaking out whenever I mention you. I didn't know how you would react if I told you I was going to talk to Ryan," Cate explained.

"I'm not Ryan," Baze muttered. "You can talk to whoever you want."

Cate struggled to make eye contact with Baze. "Are you mad?"

"I'm not mad that you're going to talk to him. I know you work together. I'm not thrilled that you lied," Baze answered.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied," Cate said.

Baze nodded in understanding. "It's OK."

* * *

Cate felt awkward as she approached Ryan's door. She hadn't been to his house since before they'd broken up. She almost hoped he wouldn't be home as she knocked on the door.

Ryan didn't answer, but Cate could see lights on and hear music. That's odd, Cate thought.

She really needed to talk to him. Her job was on the line.

Cate used her key to let herself in. She felt like an intruder even though Ryan had given her the key.

"Ryan?" She called.

No answer.

Cate could hear movement in Ryan's room. She headed to his room. She knocked lightly on the door before opening it.

Ryan and Trina were in Ryan's bed.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Cate said. She shut Ryan's bedroom door and backed away slowly.

Ryan threw jeans on and followed her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Cate stared at him. "I came by to talk about work."

Ryan frowned. "You can't just come by like this. How'd you get in?"

"I know. I'm sorry. I rang the doorbell, but you didn't answer. I could see lights on and hear music so I let myself in. I used my key," Cate explained. She took her key off her key ring and handed it to Ryan.

* * *

"You will not believe what I just walked in on," Cate said to Baze when she got home.

"What?" Baze asked curiously.

"Ryan with that bitch from corporate," Cate replied.

Baze smirked. "He seems like the type of guy who would sleep his way to the top."

"It makes sense now," Cate said, thinking aloud.

"What?" Baze asked.

"When Trina said I could have the rest of the week off so she could try out replacements, I kept expecting Ryan to stick up for me. But he didn't," Cate explained.

"What a douche." Baze made a face.


	28. Not Going Back

Baze groaned when Cate's alarm went off. He felt around the bedside table, randomly pushing buttons until the obnoxious beeping stopped.

He was surprised when Cate got up. He glanced at the clock. It was only 4:45 am. He looked at Cate quizzically. "Most people sleep in when they don't have to go to work."

"I want to listen to the show," Cate said.

"Let's not and say we did," Baze said, trying to pull Cate back into bed.

"You can stay in bed," Cate said, moving just beyond Baze's reach.

Cate settled down on the couch in the living room to listen.

"Good morning Portland! This is Ryan. Cate can't be here today, but I have Portland's own Jennifer Bradley here with me."

"Can't be here my ass," Cate muttered, glaring at the radio.

When Ryan took calls, several people asked where Cate was and when she'd be back. Cate smirked. _If I'm so unlikeable, why are they all asking about me_, Cate thought.

Cate began tuning the radio show out. She was imagining Trina begging her to come back.

Lux's voice caught her attention, dragging her back to reality.

"Ryan? Where's Cate? Is she OK?" Lux's voice came from the radio.

"Lux? Let me put you on hold," Cate heard Ryan say.

"We'll be back with some new music after a short commercial break," Jennifer said.

Cate grabbed her cell phone and dialed Ryan's cell.

He didn't answer.

* * *

"Lux?" Ryan said when he picked up the phone off the air.

"Is Cate OK?" Lux demanded.

"She's worried about you," Ryan replied. "Where-"

"I told her I'm OK," Lux said impatiently. "Where is she? Why isn't she at work?"

Ryan hesitated. "She's taking the day off."

"You don't usually have another radio show host step in for her when she takes the day off," Lux pointed out.

"You're right. We're trying something different," Ryan said vaguely. "Where are you?"

"Somewhere I won't be found," Lux said defiantly.

"Why don't you want to be found?" Ryan pressed.

"I'm not going back to foster care," Lux said firmly.

"I understand. Cate told me about the evaluation. I don't blame you for feeling the way you do. But Cate and Baze are-"

"Fern said I can't live with Cate anymore," Lux cut Ryan off. "I gotta go. Tell her I said hi and that I miss her."

"Lux, wait!" Ryan said, but it was too late. Lux had already hung up.

Ryan felt his phone vibrating like crazy. He took it out of his pocket and glanced at it. He had fifteen missed calls from Cate. She must have been listening.

Ryan returned to the air and announced the next two songs before slipping out of the radio booth to call Cate.

"Did you talk to Lux?" Cate asked when she picked up, not bothering to say hello.

"Yeah. She said she's OK and to tell you she says hi and that she misses you," Ryan reported.

"Did she say anything else?" Cate asked.

"She wouldn't tell me where she was. I tried to get it out of her. She said she didn't want to be found. She doesn't want to go back to foster care. I tried to tell her you guys are appealing Fern's decision, but she hung up before I could," Ryan replied.

"Did Alice get the number she called from?" Cate asked.

"Yeah," Ryan replied, reading off the phone number. They always recorded names and phone numbers when people called in.

"Thanks," Cate said quietly.

Ryan smiled slightly. "She was worried about you. She wanted to know where you were and if you were OK."

"What did you tell her?" Cate wondered.

"The truth," Ryan said simply. "That you're worried about her and that you're taking the day off. She pointed out that we don't usually have another co-host step in when you take the day off. She's a smart kid."

"How's Jennifer?" Cate sneered. Her tone made it clear that she was jealous.

Ryan sighed. "She's...not you. I didn't want this, Cate. I miss you."

"It didn't look like you missed me yesterday," Cate shot back.

"I'm sorry you walked in on Trina and me, but I didn't do anything wrong. You broke up with me. You moved on. To Baze," Ryan pointed out, his voice tinged with hurt.

"Don't you think it's a little hypocritical for you to be mad that I hooked up with Trina?" Ryan asked.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black. As I recall, you weren't exactly thrilled when I told you I was with Baze. And we're actually together. Trina was just a hook-up. You guys aren't even together," Cate accused.

"You and Baze weren't exactly together when he knocked you up in high school," Ryan shot back.

His words hurt her. He knew they would. They reminded her of how Baze had acted after they'd slept together for the first time, when she'd told him she was pregnant. Cate swallowed audibly.

"I'm sorry," Ryan said quickly, regretting it immediately. He sighed. "I have to go back to work. I really hope you find Lux."

"Thanks," Cate said before hanging up.

* * *

Baze opened one eye. He could feel Cate's gaze on him. "What happened to me staying in bed?"

"Lux called in. To the radio show. Ryan gave me the number she called from," Cate said.

Baze sat up immediately. He fumbled around on the bedside table until his hand closed on his cell phone. He dialed his dad.

"Dad?" Baze said anxiously. "It's me. Lux called in to Cate's radio show. The number she called from is…"

Baze glanced at Cate.

Cate read the number off quickly and Baze repeated it to his father.

"OK. Thanks," Baze spoke into the receiver after a moment. After he hung up, Baze looked at Cate. "He's calling the PI. He'll keep us posted. Come back to bed."

"No. I want to listen to the rest of the show," Cate said.

Baze pouted.

Cate laughed. She kissed him, teasing him with her tongue and then pulling away.

Baze glanced back and forth between the comfortable bed and the door to the living room where Cate was, trying to decide whether he should go back to sleep or go make Cate finish what she started.

He got up. He went into the living room and looked over Cate's shoulder at her laptop. "What's that?"

"It's a mock-up of a website for your bar. I started working on it while I was listening to the show. What do you think?" Cate said.

Baze sat down beside Cate. "You did all of this?" He asked, impressed.

Cate nodded. "It's just a start. I can-"

"It looks great," Baze interrupted.

Cate beamed proudly and pulled up another window. "This is a schedule of events. I can change anything you don't like."

Baze opened his mouth and then shut it. He was surprised Cate had done all this for him. "I like it," he said firmly.

"How are you going to thank me?" Cate said, her tone light.

Baze grinned. "I can think of a few ways."

Cate raised her eyebrows, smiling seductively at Baze.

Baze rolled on top of her, slowly undressing her.

Cate and Baze were lying together on the Oriental rug that covered the living room floor. Both were worn out from finishing what Cate had started in the bedroom. They were breathing heavily, their breathing perfectly in synch.

The phone rang and they both shot up, hoping for news on Lux.

"This is Baze," Baze said into the receiver.

Cate squeezed Baze's hand.

Baze mimed writing and Cate scrambled to get him a pad of paper and pen. Baze took notes quickly, with Cate struggling to read over his shoulder.

Baze hung up and grabbed his keys. "Come on. Let's go."

Cate followed without question. She didn't ask where they were going until they got in the car.

"The PI found Lux. She's living in a motel downtown and working at a diner," Baze explained.

Cate breathed a sigh of relief. It had almost been a week since Lux had taken off. It had been the longest week of her life.

The police had told them the chances of finding a runaway decreased the longer the child was missing. After the first day, Cate had imagined Lux lying in a ditch somewhere.

Even after Lux had called and she knew Lux was alive, Cate had been scared she'd never see her daughter again. It was every mother's worst nightmare.

* * *

Baze and Cate entered the diner cautiously, looking for Lux. They didn't see her. They sat down in a worn red booth, hoping she would turn up eventually.

"Hi. I'm Laura. What can I get you?" Laura greeted them.

"Laura." Baze grinned cockily. "We'd both like coffee please. Is Lux here?"

Laura frowned. "Lux? No, there's no one here by that name."

"My bad. I probably got her name wrong. Is there a young girl who works here?" Baze said smoothly.

"You must be talking about Liz. She'll be here in about an hour," Laura replied.

When Laura left to get their coffees, Cate kicked Baze under the table.

"What?" He said.

"You were flirting with the waitress," Cate accused.

Baze laughed. "I was getting information from her."

Cate looked unconvinced.

"You're jealous," Baze said, smirking.

"I'm not jealous!" Cate argued.

"You don't have anything to worry about. I only have eyes for you," Baze teased.

Baze and Cate were on their third cups of coffee when Lux arrived for work. They didn't recognize her at first. She hurried in. They didn't see her face and only caught the back of her head and her dark locks.

Lux wasn't paying attention to the customers, so she didn't notice Cate and Baze. She set her bag down in the back and then started taking orders.

Cate recognized her voice and kicked Baze under the table. They both stared in shock.

Lux started moving around obliviously, refilling coffee cups and water glasses. Eventually she made her way to their booth. She stopped dead in her tracks when she locked eyes with Cate.

"Hi," Lux said, her voice small.

"Hi? That's all you have to say after you run away," Baze said, making a face. "Do you know how worried we've been?"

"I told Cate I was OK," Lux mumbled.

"We deserve better than that," Cate said reproachfully.

"What?" Lux asked innocently. "I didn't run away from you guys. I ran away from foster care."

"You had to know we'd be worried," Baze scolded.

"I'm sorry you guys were worried. I didn't want you to worry. That's why I told Cate I was OK. But I'm _not_ going back to foster care," Lux said.

"We're appealing Fern's decision. You won't have to go back to foster care for long. Just long enough for the lawyer to finalize the paperwork," Cate said soothingly.

"No." Lux shook her head furiously. "I'm not going back at all."

"Yeah, you are," Baze said firmly. "We're not leaving you here."

"Better here than foster care," Lux retorted. She crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly.

"I promise it won't be for long," Cate said softly.

"Do you want to tell your boss it's _Liz's_ last day? Or should I?" Baze asked. His tone of voice left no room for argument.


	29. No Place Like Home

"I'll be right back," Lux said when Baze pulled up to the motel.

"We're coming with you," Cate said firmly, not wanting to let Lux out of her sight.

Lux led the way to her motel room and opened the door.

Cate gasped when she saw the room. It was disgusting. She hadn't expected it to be nice. The motel looked like it attracted hookers, not exactly business men, but she also hadn't expected it to be quite this bad.

"You've been living here," Cate said, horrified. She couldn't help but wonder how much worse Sunnyvale was if Lux preferred to live here.

"With Bug," Baze noted when he saw men's clothing on the floor.

"It's better than foster care," Lux retorted as she began packing her bag.

Cate helped, re-folding clothes as Lux threw them in her bag in a wad. Cate saw the stuffed bear and frowned. "You've been home."

Lux looked up, confused. She understood when she saw Cate's eyes fixed on the bear. "Just once. I needed some clothes."

"When?" Cate asked, wondering how she'd missed Lux.

"The day after the evaluation," Lux replied.

Cate's eyes widened. "But I was there."

Lux nodded. "I thought you'd be at work, but you were both there when we got there. We waited until you left."

"For the lawyer's office," Baze remembered.

"He thinks he'll be able to appeal Fern's decision?" Lux asked hopefully.

Baze and Cate exchanged a glance.

"Yeah," Baze replied.

Lux turned to face them. She crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly. "I'll come with you now. But if the lawyer isn't able to appeal Fern's decision, I'm _not_ going back to foster care."

"You know we don't want you to go back to foster care either," Cate assured Lux, making eye contact.

"I know. But I will run again and next time I'll make sure I won't be found," Lux threatened.

Cate swallowed.

Baze frowned in concern.

Lux's expression softened. "I want to be with you guys. I told you, I wasn't running away from you. I just, I don't want you to worry if I leave."

Baze made a face. "We can't just stop worrying. We're your parents. Its kinda part of our job description."

Lux rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself. I did for thirteen years."

Cate's expression was grim. "You're fourteen. You should be in school, not working and taking care of yourself."

Lux sighed. "Let's go."

"Do you have everything?" Cate asked, her gaze scanning the motel room.

"Yeah." Lux nodded.

"Next stop Sunnyvale," Lux muttered as they got in Baze's Jeep.

"Nah, we'll go back to Cate's," Baze decided. He wanted to talk to the lawyer before they called Fern.

Lux smiled in relief.

Cate noticed and sighed sadly. There was no doubt in her mind that Lux would run away again in they took her back to Sunnyvale and Cate didn't know if they'd have a choice in the matter.

Cate struggled to come up with a convincing reason for Lux to stay. "Hey, if you do have to go back to Sunnyvale, you'll get to see Tasha more."

Lux frowned. "She's not my favorite person right now."

"Why not?" Cate asked curiously. Usually Lux was angry that she didn't get to see Tasha.

"She-" Lux stopped, remembering the fight they'd had before the evaluation. Cate wouldn't believe her anyway. "She's just not."

Cate frowned. "Why?" She asked again, her tone more firm.

Lux shook her head. "You won't believe me anyway."

Cate met Lux's gaze. "Yes, I will. You can tell me anything."

"I _did_ tell you and you didn't believe me," Lux said angrily. "I'm mad at Tasha because she stole. Not me!"

Lux glared at Cate. "The stolen shirt was her size, not mine. It was in her bag, not mine. And when I tried to tell Fern, Tasha didn't say anything. She could've jumped in any time and I'd still be with you guys."

Cate could tell by Lux's expression that she was being honest. She sighed. She wanted to strangle Tasha for making such a mess of things. But, she also knew she was partially to blame for not trusting Lux. "Lux, I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

Lux raised her eyebrows. "Why do you believe me now?"

Cate paused, unsure how to respond. "You lied about parent-teacher conferences and forged my signature on your test. I didn't know if I could trust you anymore."

"You trust me again?" Lux asked.

Cate nodded. "I believe you, Lux, and I believe in you."

Lux smiled, tears in her eyes. It had hurt when she realized Cate didn't trust her. She'd been more upset that Cate thought she was a thief and a liar than she'd been about getting caught stealing.

Cate carried Lux's bag into her house, smiling slightly. Lux was home. Where she belonged. But for how long?

"Do you need anything?" Cate asked.

Lux smiled. "I have everything I need."

Cate returned the smile.

"I'm gonna take a shower. I feel dirty," Lux said, heading toward the bathroom.

As soon as they heard the water running, Baze dialed the lawyer.

"Lux cannot stay at Cate's until the decision is reversed," the lawyer said.

Baze sighed. "I understand."

"She'll return to foster care until that time," the lawyer said.

"It's just, she does not want to go back to foster care. Are there any other options?" Baze demanded.

"Are there any relatives who could get approved for temporary custody?" The lawyer wondered.

"Yeah. What do we have to do?" Baze said.

Lux emerged from the bathroom freshly showered. "What's wrong?" She asked when she saw her parents.

Cate looked at Lux, tears in her eyes. "You can't stay here tonight."

Lux nodded. She'd expected as much. "Fern's on her way to take me back to Sunnyvale?" She said knowingly.

"No." Cate looked at Baze.

"We knew you didn't want to go back to Sunnyvale," Baze began.

Lux's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror. She knew all too well that children in foster care had two options: Group homes and foster homes. If she wasn't going back to Sunnyvale, that could only mean one thing.

"I don't want to go with a foster family," Lux protested.

"Hear me out," Baze said. "The lawyer said the only other option was for a relative to take you in."

"Just until the appeal is finalized," Cate said quickly.

Lux's brow furrowed in confusion. "A relative?"

"You're gonna stay at my parents' house," Baze said, watching Lux's reaction carefully. He wasn't exactly thrilled about the arrangement, but he knew Lux would be better off with his parents than in foster care.

Lux wasn't crazy about Baze's parents, but it was much better than foster care, she knew. And she'd be able to see Cate and Baze. Lux smiled at the thought.

Both Cate and Baze let out the breaths they'd been holding.

Cate helped Lux pack a suitcase with clean clothes and toiletries.

"How much stuff do I need?" Lux asked.

"I don't know," Cate admitted. "But I promise we'll do everything we can to get you home as soon as possible."

Lux nodded. "I know. Thanks."

"Of course," Cate said, smiling slightly. She picked up the stuffed bear. "Do you want to take this?"

Lux nodded and took the bear from Cate. She sat down on her bed and fiddled with the stuffed animal. "Cate?"

"Yeah?" Cate said, sitting down beside Lux.

"I'm sorry. For everything. I shouldn't have lied about conferences. Forged your signature." Lux shook her head sadly. "This is all my fault."

"No," Cate said firmly. "It's not all on you."

Cate gave Lux a hard look, making eye contact. "But you shouldn't have lied. Why did you?"

Lux sighed. "You're so smart. You graduated with honors. I didn't want you to be disappointed in me."

"I could never be disappointed in you," Cate said truthfully, pulling Lux into her arms and rubbing her back comfortingly.

Cate pulled away after a moment. "I'm sorry, too. I should have believed you."

"No, you had a reason not to trust me," Lux admitted, looking down.

Cate lifted Lux's chin so the teen was looking at her again. "I trust you," she said firmly.

Lux smiled slightly. Her smile faded. "Cate? I'm sorry I made you worry."

"Just don't ever do that to me again," Cate said.

"I really didn't mean to worry you," Lux said truthfully. "I just didn't want to go back to foster care."

Cate nodded, smiling slightly. "I know." Her expression hardened a bit. "I didn't know where you were. I didn't know if you were OK. If I'd ever see you again."

Lux frowned. "Bug wanted to leave Portland. I couldn't leave. Not when you and Baze are here. This is home."

Cate smiled. This was home. It would never feel like home without Lux. She hated that Lux had to leave again.

Cate stroked Lux's hair. She still couldn't get over the color.

"It's dark," Lux said self-consciously, laughing a little.

"Why did you dye it?" Cate asked.

"I didn't want anyone to recognize me. I just, I can't go back to foster care," Lux said, her voice breaking as she fought back tears.

Lux paused and took a moment to regain her composure before adding hopefully, "We look more like mother and daughter."

Cate smiled.

Cate and Lux did look like mother and daughter when they emerged from the attic with Lux's suitcase, Baze noticed. He forced himself to smile for Lux's benefit. "You ready to go?"

Lux nodded.


	30. Can't Let Go

Baze grabbed Lux's suitcase from the back of the Jeep and led the way toward his parents' house. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Cate and Lux exchanged nervous glances.

John opened the door and smiled kindly. "Hi. Come in." He turned to Lux. "It's nice to see you again."

Lux would hardly use the word _nice_ to describe seeing him again, but she forced herself to smile politely and nod. She didn't like John, but this was better than foster care. Way better.

Cindy was cooking dinner in the kitchen. She hurried over when they entered. She immediately hugged Lux. "We're glad you're staying here."

Lux stiffened. She barely knew this woman and their last encounter hadn't exactly gone well. Somehow she managed to keep the smile pasted on her face.

As soon as Cindy released her, Lux inched closer to Cate. Cate smiled at Lux sympathetically.

"I'll take your bag up to your room," John offered.

Cate and Baze exchanged a glance. It felt weird for John to call a room in his house Lux's room. To them, Lux's room was in Cate's house.

"Thanks," Lux said, looking at Baze uncertainly.

Baze followed his dad upstairs. John headed toward one of the many guest bedrooms.

Baze frowned when John opened the door. It had been redecorated to look more like a girl's room.

The walls were painted pale pink. John and Cindy had bought a desk for Lux. It wasn't really Lux's taste, Baze knew, but his parents didn't really know Lux.

"This is just temporary, right?" Baze asked uncertainly, remembering their first family dinner. John had wanted to take Lux from them. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Relax. We just wanted Lux to be comfortable while she's here," John replied.

Baze looked unconvinced.

John knew his relationship with his son had been volatile. He laughed a little. "This was all your mother's doing. Not mine. If that makes you feel any better."

Baze smiled slightly. "Dad? I don't know if I've said it, but thank you for everything you're doing for me. For Lux."

John looked up in surprise. His son rarely thanked him for anything.

Baze stuffed his hands in his pockets and shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know if we would have found Lux without your help."

"Don't mention it. She's my granddaughter," John said. "Your mother's going to start wondering where we're off to."

"How's school?" Cindy asked Lux.

Lux smirked. She hadn't gone to school in a week. "Good."

Cate smiled slightly.

"What's your favorite subject?" Cindy asked. She didn't really know what else to talk to Lux about.

Lux rolled her eyes. She didn't like school. "Lunch," she retorted.

Cate shot Lux a warning glance, but they both looked up in surprise when Cindy laughed.

"You sound so much like Nate," Cindy explained.

Lux smiled slightly.

"Do you play any sports?" Cindy wondered, remembering her son excelling on the football field.

"No," Lux replied.

Cindy frowned. "What do you do after school?"

Lux shrugged. "Hang out."

Cindy's frown deepened. "You'll need extracurricular activities to get into college."

"I don't want-" Lux began, but trailed off when she saw the look on Cate's face.

Cindy misunderstood, assuming Lux was going to say she didn't want to play a sport, not that she didn't want to go to college. "If you don't want to play a sport, you can do something else."

Lux looked at Cate helplessly.

"I know! Student government," Cindy suggested. She smiled proudly. "Nate was class president."

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea at all," Lux said quickly. She hadn't gone out of her way to make friends at Westmonte. She couldn't exactly picture her classmates electing her president.

Baze frowned when he descended the stairs and saw Lux's expression. She didn't look happy. Like at all.

Baze ruffled Lux's hair affectionately and she smiled up at him.

Baze pulled out Lux's chair for her at the dinner table before doing the same for Cate.

John noticed and smiled slightly. His son appeared to be maturing. He was actually acting like a gentleman.

Cindy served everyone before joining them at the table.

"You've had quite the week, young lady," John commented.

Lux stared at her plate, unsure what to say.

"You've missed an entire week of school. And your grades weren't up to par before that," John continued.

"I couldn't go to school," Lux protested.

John smirked. "Because you ran away?"

Lux nodded, refusing to meet John's gaze.

"You're a smart girl. You changed your name and lied about your age so you could get a job. You used a disposable cell phone instead of the motel or diner phone," John said, trying not to smile.

Lux blushed slightly.

"Just think what kind of a student you would be if you put half as much effort into your schoolwork," John said.

Lux nodded.

"She's smart. She'll get her grades up," Baze said defensively.

"Up to where yours were?" John smirked.

Baze clenched his jaw, but ignored the insult. He didn't want to piss his dad off while Lux was staying with his parents.

Lux glared at John. "Maybe Baze's grades would've been better if you'd been more supportive."

Baze and Cate exchanged a look of alarm.

"Lux," Baze said, warning in his voice.

John's expression hardened. "Is that what he tells you? That I wasn't supportive? I-"

"He didn't tell me anything. He didn't have to." Lux shook her head. "I see the way you treat him. Like he's not good enough. I don't know you very well. And I've known Baze for less than a year. But I know he's a much better dad than you ever were."

John stared at Lux in surprise.

"Can I get anybody anything?" Cindy asked, trying to relieve the tension at the table. She began clearing the table. Cate and Lux got up to help.

"Thanks for coming," Cindy said pointedly once the dishes were loaded into the dishwasher.

She walked Cate and Baze to the door. Lux followed close behind.

Baze hugged Lux. "See you tomorrow, Kiddo," he said quietly.

Cate pulled Lux in, hugging her tight. Lux gripped Cate as though she never wanted to let go. When Cate finally pulled away, both had tears in their eyes.

Cate fought back tears as she left the Bazile's house, not wanting Lux to see her crying. As soon as she was safely in the car, Cate began crying hard.

Baze's face fell. He wiped tears from Cate's eyes with his thumb. "I don't want to leave her here either. It's just temporary."

"We didn't have her for thirteen years. I haven't seen her in a week. And now I just, I have to leave her here with other people," Cate cried out in between sobs.

Baze frowned. "I know." He pulled Cate to him and she rested her head on his shoulder. He rubbed her back gently. "I know."

John noticed a tear rolling down Lux's face as he shut the door behind Cate and Baze.

"You didn't see them for a week when you were living in a motel," John pointed out, his tone harsh. "You'll live if you don't see them until tomorrow."

Lux's expression hardened. She didn't want John to see her crying. She yawned loudly. "I'm tired. I'm gonna go to bed."

"I'll show you to your room," Cindy offered, leading the way to the bedroom she'd decorated for Lux.

"Wow. It's, uh, pink," Lux commented when they entered the bedroom.

Cindy smiled. "The bathroom is down the hall. There are clean towels in the closet."

"Thanks," Lux said mildly.

Lux shut the door, wanting to be left alone. She moved frilly pillows off the top of the bed and climbed under the covers. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and wake up when Cate and Baze had custody of her again.

Lux couldn't sleep. It felt so wrong to be in this room that wasn't hers. In this house that wasn't Cate's.

She stuffed pillows under the covers so it looked like she was in bed and then snuck out.


	31. Necessary Evil

Cate washed her face, the cool water washing away her tears, soothing her red, swollen eyes. She changed into pajamas and poured herself a glass of wine.

"Hey, at least tonight we know where she is, that's she's OK," Baze said lightly. It was better than the last several nights they'd spent wondering where their daughter was and if she was OK.

Cate nodded dully. She knew Baze was trying desperately to make her feel better and she wasn't making it easy. But she didn't feel better. She wouldn't feel better until Lux was back home where she belonged.

Cate forced herself to smile for Baze's benefit and quipped, "Yeah, and she's not in a drug infested motel with hookers."

"Or worse. Bug," Baze added, wrapping his arm around Cate's shoulders.

Cate rolled her eyes. She smirked. "I wonder how your parents will react if they meet Bug while Lux is staying with them."

"Not well," Baze said emphatically. "I hope for Lux's sake she stays away from that kid until she's home."

"Or longer," Cate said hopefully.

"The longer the better," Baze agreed.

"How bad were your parents when you were Lux's age?" Cate asked thoughtfully.

Baze made a face. "Have you met them?"

"I mean, I know they're not in the running for parents of the year, but were they always this bad?" Cate said.

Baze knew Cate was worried about Lux staying with his parents. He rubbed her back comfortingly. "No." He shook his head, smiling slightly. "My dad used to actually be proud of me. I was starting quarterback just like him. I could do no wrong."

"What happened?" Cate wondered.

"I didn't want to be just like him anymore." Baze smirked. "He wanted me to major in business and follow in his footsteps. Instead I changed majors all the time. When I turned the building he gave me into a bar, it was the last straw. From that point on, I was nothing but a disappointment to him."

Baze buried his face in his hands. "My worst fear is doing to Lux what he did to me."

Cate stared at Baze. "You're not your dad. You're nothing like your dad. Lux, she's crazy about you."

Baze smiled slightly. "You think?"

Cate smiled. "I know."

"It's late. You must be tired. It's been a long week and you got up at the crack of dawn to yell at the radio," Baze said lightly.

"I wasn't yelling at the radio. I was listening," Cate protested.

Baze smirked.

They fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. They'd had a long week and lots of restless nights worrying about Lux.

Lux turned her key in the lock, letting herself into Cate's house.

Lux climbed the stairs to her attic bedroom. She curled up in her bed. It felt so good to sleep in her own bed after so many nights in a stained motel bed.

Lux slept peacefully, hugging the stuffed bear tight to her chest.

Cate's alarm went off early again.

Baze groaned. "Are you yelling at the radio again this morning?"

Cate shot a dirty look at Baze. "Listening. I'm listening," she corrected.

Cate put her robe on and went out to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She turned the radio on and sat down in the living room. She frowned when she saw the front door. The door was unlocked.

Cate never left the door unlocked. She always double-checked before she went to bed.

She remembered that Lux had come to get things after running away and felt sick. Lux's threat to run away again echoed in her head. They'd been hoping she'd be OK with staying with Baze's parents, but maybe she wasn't OK with it at all.

Cate dashed upstairs to see if anything was missing from the attic. She gasped when she saw Lux sleeping soundly in her bed.

This was bad. Cate wondered if John and Cindy had noticed Lux was gone. If they'd called the police. Surely they would call Baze before calling the police.

Lux stirred and rubbed her eyes groggily. She noticed Cate standing at the top of the stairs and smiled. "Morning."

Cate wasn't smiling. "You're supposed to be Baze's parents'," Cate said, her tone accusatory.

Lux frowned slightly. "Don't you want me here?"

Cate sighed. She sank down beside Lux on Lux's bed, reaching for Lux. "You know I want you here. But you can't stay here until the judge says it's OK. If Fern finds out you're staying here, it will be worse in the long run."

"I couldn't sleep at Baze's parents' house," Lux whined.

"Do they know you're gone?" Cate asked anxiously.

Lux shrugged. "I stuffed pillows in the bed so it looked like I was there."

Cate tried not to smile. "I'm going to tell Baze to call them so they don't call the police or anything."

"Cate, why aren't you at work?" Lux frowned.

Cate sighed. "I'm not working this week."

"Because of me?" Lux asked.

"No. It's just…office politics," Cate said.

"Did you lose your job?" Lux bit her lip.

Cate hesitated. "I don't know. Ratings are down. They want to see if bringing in new voices has a positive effect."

Cate shook Baze gently. He tried to ignore her, pulling the pillow over his head. Cate shook him more urgently.

"The only time I'm up at this hour is when I haven't gone to bed yet," Baze said pointedly.

Cate rolled her eyes. "Lux is here."

Baze groaned and sat up. "What's wrong?"

"She snuck out and slept here. You need to call your parents so they don't call the police or anything. If Fern finds out-"

"She won't," Baze assured Cate. He dialed his parents.

"Hi, Mom," Baze said, grateful his mother had answered. His father was more likely to overreact.

"Hi," Cindy said cheerfully. "I'm making breakfast. Lux is still sleeping."

Baze smirked at how oblivious his mother was. "Mom, Lux is here."

"She's up in bed," Cindy said, confused.

"No, Mom. She snuck out and slept here. We didn't know. Cate found her this morning," Baze explained.

"Oh," Cindy said.

"Can you tell Dad? And don't call the police or anything. Cate will take her to school and drop her off at your house after," Baze said before hanging up.

Baze pulled jeans on and went out to talk to Lux.

"When I said I'd see you tomorrow, I thought you were staying at my parents' place and I'd see you after school," Baze said pointedly.

"Surprise," Lux said lightly.

Baze frowned. "If the State finds out we're not playing by the rules, Cate and I could lose you."

"You already did," Lux muttered.

"Temporarily. If we keep messing up, it could become permanent," Baze said, making eye contact with Lux.

"OK. OK," Lux said, giving in.

"Good." Baze breathed a sigh of relief.

"I wouldn't go quite that far," Lux muttered under her breath.

Cate and Baze exchanged a glance.

Cate took a deep breath, hating what she was about to do. "Lux, give me your house key."

"What?" Lux stared at Cate.

Baze stared at Cate in surprise.

Cate's expression was grim. "I can't have you sneaking back here. I can't lose you permanently."

Lux practically threw the key at Cate.

"I'm going to take a shower," Lux announced, glaring at Cate.

"Do you really think that was necessary?" Baze asked once they heard the water running.

"Yeah, I do. She's not taking this seriously. I'd rather she be mad at me for a few nights than we lose her permanently," Cate said defensively.

"At least she ran here this time," Baze muttered. "Now she'll take off again if she can't hack it at my parents' place and we won't know where she is."

Cate frowned. "You think?"

"I don't know." Baze shrugged helplessly.

Lux emerged from the bathroom fully dressed and ready for school. She brushed past Cate and looked at Baze. "Will you take me to school?"

"I'm taking you," Cate said.

"I want Baze to take me," Lux said, refusing to meet Cate's gaze.

"You need to go with Cate," Baze said, seeing Cate's pained expression.

"I'll walk," Lux decided.

"You're going with me," Cate said, her tone stern. She grabbed Lux's arm and led her to the car.

"Fine," Lux said coolly.

Lux didn't speak to Cate the whole way to school. Cate stopped in front of Westmonte and turned to face Lux. "Lux?"

Lux crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly.

"Lux, are you going to run away again?" Cate asked softly, her eyes searching for the answer in Lux's eyes.

"Don't worry. I won't come to your house again. I don't have a key," Lux said pointedly.

"Baze and I, we are trying to figure everything out. It's Friday. If you can just wait until Monday, I promise you we will figure it out," Cate said.

Lux looked down.

"Lux? I don't know what else to do. What can I do to make it better?" Cate said sadly. She needed Lux to tell her she understood, that she wouldn't run away again.

"I gotta go to school. I'm gonna be late," Lux said, refusing to meet Cate's gaze.

Cate stopped Lux, grabbing her arm. "Promise you won't run away?"

Lux pulled away and left Cate. Cate couldn't help but wonde if she'd see her daughter again as she watched Lux disappear into Westmonte.


	32. Thin Ice

"Lux?"

Lux looked up, surprised.

She hadn't made any friends at Westmonte.

Lux never raised her hand in class. She always sat in the back.

She kept to herself. Who would be talking to her? What did they want?

Mrs. Greene, Lux's math teacher, was staring at her expectantly.

Lux sighed. "Yeah?"

"Your mom asked me if I could recommend a tutor for you," Mrs. Greene said.

Lux nodded dully.

"Do you know Jones?" Mrs. Greene asked.

"Uh." Lux scanned the room. She didn't really know anyone at Westmonte. A football player with boyishly good looks waved at her and grinned. She nodded toward him and Mrs. Greene smiled.

"He's one of my best students. He's willing to help you. You both have study hall sixth period," Mrs. Greene said.

"Thanks," Lux said with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Lux saw Jones sitting in his usual desk. She hesitated. She felt weird asking this kid she didn't even know for help.

Jones saw her and waved.

Lux sighed and sat down beside him. "Let's get this tutoring thing over with."

Jones laughed. "What? You're not excited to do math?"

"No," Lux said emphatically.

"It won't be too bad." Jones held up his hands in surrender. "I promise."

Jones was nice. And it wasn't his fault she had to have a tutor, Lux reasoned. She forced herself to smile. "Thanks for helping me."

"I don't mind. What are you having trouble with?" Jones said kindly.

"Everything," Lux replied. And not just everything math related.

Jones laughed. "You weren't here last week. I can go over the notes with you."

Lux looked up, surprised Jones had noticed her absence. She hadn't really thought anyone would miss her. "OK."

Jones was patient as he explained the material Lux had missed. "You're getting this. You must just be having a hard time catching up."

Lux looked at him quizzically.

"You know, since you're new and you missed class," Jones explained. "Were you doing the same things at your old school?"

Lux smirked. Her old school was really far behind Westmonte. Future inmates had a slower learning curve. "No, not really."

"Why did you transfer in the middle of the year?" Jones asked conversationally.

Lux hesitated. "I, uh, moved." It was true. It just wasn't the whole truth.

"Do you like Westmonte?" Jones asked.

"I don't like school," Lux replied.

Jones laughed. "You're funny. And smart."

"What can I say? I'm pretty awesome," Lux said, laughing.

"No argument here," Jones said. "A bunch of us are going to the movies tonight. Do you want to come?"

Lux opened her mouth to say no. She was with Bug. She wasn't going to go out with some random guy.

But Bug had been a jerk lately. Living in the motel with him hadn't been easy. At all. And if Lux didn't make plans, she'd be sitting around Baze's parents' house all night. She nodded. "Yeah."

Jones grinned boyishly. "Do you need a ride?"

"No," Lux said quickly. She didn't want to have to explain why she was staying with her grandparents. "I'll meet you there."

Lux left school in a good mood all things considered. Surprisingly she was looking forward to hanging out with Jones. He was nice and he liked her, two qualities most people lacked.

Lux's mood soured when she saw Cate waiting in front of school to pick her up. She was still mad that Cate took her key.

Lux decided to keep on walking. If Cate didn't want her around, she wouldn't be around.

Cate breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Lux emerge from the school building.

She knew Lux stayed at school. She'd called to make sure.

Cate had arrived early. She didn't want to give Lux a chance to run again. Lux had been under the watchful eye of teachers all day. Now Cate would drop her off at the Bazile's and they would keep an eye on her. Baze had already instructed his dad to watch her like a hawk.

Cate's relief was short-lived. Lux walked past Cate's Prius.

Cate rolled down her window. "Lux!"

Lux heard Cate calling her, but ignored her mom. She didn't want to sit in Cate's car and pretend like everything was fine when it wasn't.

Cate got out of her car and followed Lux. She caught up with Lux quickly. "Lux, didn't you see me?"

Lux rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna walk to the Bazile's."

Cate sighed. Lux was obviously still mad. "Lux…"

Lux turned around, glaring at Cate. "What?" She yelled.

Cate frowned. "You're not gonna walk. I'm taking you."

Lux snickered. "Why? So you can make sure I stay there?"

Cate swallowed. "I always pick you up."

Lux rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Lux fit the stereotype of the sulky teenager during the drive to the Bazile's.

Cate put the car in park in front of the Bazile's. Lux was surprised Cate didn't turn the car off. She'd been sure Cate would walk her in and make sure she made it. "You're not coming in?"

"Do you want me to?" Cate asked.

"No," Lux said coolly.

"OK," Cate said dully. She hugged Lux goodbye.

Lux just sat there limply. She didn't hug Cate. She pulled away quickly and got out of the car.

Lux stopped when she reached the door. She hesitated, her hand poised to knock.

She felt weird knocking when she was supposed to be living here. But it would be even weirder to let herself in. She'd only been in the house twice.

Lux knocked lightly on the door.

Cindy opened the door and smiled. "How was school?"

Lux shrugged. "Fine."

"Do you want a snack?" Cindy asked.

Lux followed Cindy into the kitchen. "OK."

Cindy opened the refrigerator and began listing the contents to Lux.

Lux was used to Cate's nearly empty refrigerator. It felt weird to have so many choices.

Lux sat down at the table and ate.

"What do you want for dinner?" Cindy asked. She didn't know what Lux liked.

Lux shrugged. "Anything's fine."

"Pot roast? Barbecue chicken? Steak?" Cindy said.

Lux hadn't had a home cooked meal in a long time. Cate had tried to cook a few times, but she always managed to ruin the meals. Lux laughed, remembering when Cate had almost burned down the kitchen.

She'd had one foster mom who was a good cook. A long time ago. Other than that, she'd pretty much survived on frozen meals, cafeteria style food at Sunnyvale and whichever places delivered at Cate's.

Cindy was a good cook. Lux smiled. "That was good. Thanks."

Cindy beamed, pleased with the compliment.

Lux helped Cindy clear the table and load the dishes in the dishwasher before going upstairs to get ready.

Lux spent a little longer than usual getting ready. She was nervous. She didn't know what kids at Westmonte wore to go out. She finally decided on one of the dresses Cate had bought her. She put lip gloss on and swiped her eyelashes with mascara.

Lux walked downstairs and paused in the hallway. She didn't really know what to do.

She was not going to ask Cindy and John's permission to go out. They weren't her parents. She barely even knew them. They couldn't tell her what to do.

But she felt weird just leaving without saying anything. She cleared her throat. They both looked up.

"You look nice," Cindy commented.

Lux smiled. "Thanks. I'm, uh, going out. See you later."

John and Cindy exchanged a glance.

"Where do you think you're going?" John asked sternly.

Lux rolled her eyes, annoyed at his tone and the way he was talking to her. "I don't _think_ I'm going anywhere. I _am_ going to the movies."

"Come here," John said.

Lux sighed and approached the couch. "What?"

"Let's try this again. You're the kid. You need to ask us if you want to go out," John said.

Lux scowled. She'd been on her own for thirteen years. She didn't need to ask if she wanted to go out. Especially not John.

Cindy sighed. "We just need to know where you're going and who you're going with."

"I told you. I'm going to a movie," Lux said.

"With?" Cindy pressed.

Lux rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry. Do you know all the fourteen year olds in Portland?"

Cindy frowned.

John gave Lux a hard look.

"I'm going with Jones. Do you know him?" Lux smirked.

"Does this Jones go to school with you?" John asked.

Lux was tempted to say _no, I picked him up at a bar_, but decided she was already skating on thin ice. She bit her lip to keep from talking back and nodded.

"I'll drive you," John said. His tone made it clear that it wasn't optional.

John dropped Lux off at the movie theater. "Do you need money?" He pulled a twenty out of his wallet and handed it to Lux.

Lux hesitated. She felt weird taking money from Baze's parents. She still felt weird about taking money from Cate and Cate was her mom. "No. I'm good."

"Take the money," John said.

Lux frowned.

"Look, I don't want to a get a call saying you snuck into the movie or stole popcorn or something." John smirked.

Jones immediately saw Lux. He waved, grinning broadly.

"Hey." Lux joined him in line.

Jones bought both their tickets before Lux could stop him. Lux frowned slightly. She didn't want Jones to get the wrong idea. He was really nice, but she was with Bug.

"How much do I owe you?" Lux asked awkwardly.

Jones looked confused by the question. "Nothing. I got it."

"OK. I'll get popcorn and drinks then," Lux offered.

Jones frowned slightly, but didn't argue.

Jones led the way to the theater. A few kids from Westmonte already had seats. A brunette girl waved when she saw Jones.

Jones nodded. "Everyone's over there."

"Lux, do you know everyone?" Jones asked politely as they slipped into the row. "This is Brynn and Kaleigh and Tom."

Lux smiled. "Yeah, I think I've seen you guys around."

"Jones, sit here." Brynn gestured toward the seat next to her.

Jones slid into the seat and Lux sat on the other side of him.

"Where have you been?" Brynn asked curiously.

Lux looked at Brynn quizzically. "Excuse me?"

"You missed, like, a week of school," Brynn pointed out, her tone snide.

"Oh." Lux thought for a moment. "I was out of town. New York. I go shopping there all the time."

Brynn looked impressed. "That's so cool. I can't believe your parents just let you miss school for a week to shop. I have to be deathly ill before mine will call me in."

Lux smiled sympathetically.

* * *

Baze knocked on his parents' door.

Jonh looked surprised when he opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see my kid," Baze said, as though it should be obvious. He entered the foyer and glanced around. "Where's Lux?"

"She's not here. She's at the movies," John replied.

Baze frowned. "What? Dad, I told you to watch her so she doesn't run away again!"

"Relax. I know what I'm doing. I have done this before," John retorted. "I asked where she was going and who she was going with. I dropped her off at the movie theater. I'm gonna pick her up in about half an hour."

"Just because you dropped her off at the movie theater, it doesn't mean she'll stay there," Baze said, exasperated. "Who was she with?"

"Her friend, Jones," Cindy replied helpfully.

Baze made a face. "She doesn't have a friend named Jones."

"I waited to make sure everything was OK. She's with Jones," John said confidently.

"Does Jones have a spider web on his neck?" Baze demanded. Bug was the only guy he'd ever seen Lux with.

John narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Baze shook his head. "Never mind. What movie theater did you drop her off at?"

* * *

"Excuse me." Lux heard Baze's voice and looked up in surprise.

She groaned. Sure enough, Baze was making his way through the crowded theater.

Lux blushed. She knew Baze was about to embarrass her in front of everyone from Westmonte. She touched Jones' arm lightly. "I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Lux hurried over to Baze. He followed her toward the exit.

"What are you doing here?" Lux demanded as soon as they were outside.

"I went over to my parents' to see you. Imagine my surprise when you weren't there." Baze glared at his daughter.

"What? Now I can't go out?" Lux asked angrily.

"It's not the going out that bothers me. It's the fact that you don't always make it home," Baze said pointedly, giving Lux a hard look.

"Tell me. How would I make it home without a house key?" Lux glared at Baze.

Baze sighed. "Cate's trying to make sure Fern can't ding us on anything. And you're not making it easy."

"I've been in and out of foster homes my whole life! Forgive me if I don't make it easy for you guys to shuffle me around some more!" Lux retorted.

Baze raked a hand through his hair. "This isn't easy on us either, Lux."

"You're not the one who had to move out of your home. You're not the one who will have to live in another crappy foster home if things don't work out!" Lux cried out.

Baze frowned. "That's not gonna happen. Cate and I won't let that happen."

Lux looked unconvinced. Baze had been sure Fern would let Lux stay with Cate before the evaluation. If he'd been wrong then, he could be wrong now. "Can I go back to the movie now?"

Baze made a face. "Who is Jones?"

"Just a guy from school," Lux replied.

"From Westmonte?" Baze said, surprised. He knew Cate had been worried because Lux hadn't made any friends at Westmonte. Lux only wanted to hang out with Tasha and Jones.

Lux nodded.

Baze grinned. "Do you like him?"

Lux rolled her eyes. "I'm with Bug."

Baze frowned. "OK. Have fun, Kiddo. I'll wait outside and drive you back to my parents' after."

Jones walked Lux to Baze's car. He hesitated, shifting uncomfortably, before hugging Lux.

Baze smirked. He saw Jones' jacket and nodded approvingly. The kid played football.

"You didn't tell me you were hanging out with football players," Baze said when Lux hopped in the Jeep.

Lux smiled slightly. "He's the quarterback."

"I was the quarterback," Baze said proudly.

"I know," Lux said lightly.

"What do you say to paintball tomorrow?" Baze asked. Cate wanted him to keep Lux busy this weekend so she didn't have a chance to take off again.

"Sure," Lux said halfheartedly.

"All right. See you tomorrow." Baze ruffled Lux's hair affectionately and watched to make sure she got in OK.


	33. The New Normal

"Lux!" Cindy called from the foot of the stairs. "Your friend is here."

Lux was sitting at the desk in "her" bedroom at Baze's parents' house doing homework. Her brow wrinkled in confusion. She hadn't told anyone where she was staying and she definitely wasn't expecting anyone.

Lux frowned when she saw Tasha standing in the foyer, shifting uncomfortably.

Cindy smiled brightly when she saw Lux. "Would you like me to get you guys anything?"

"No." Lux shook her head. "Thanks," she added as an afterthought.

Tasha grinned. "I haven't seen you in forever."

Lux nodded slowly. She didn't want to see Tasha. Not after Tasha let her take the fall for stealing. "Do you want to go up to my room?"

Tasha followed Lux up to her bedroom. Lux closed the door. She had a feeling this wasn't going to be pretty and she didn't want Cindy to hear.

Tasha glanced around the room. "This doesn't look like you at all." She smirked.

"That's because it's not my room," Lux said angrily. "My room is at Cate's, but I'm not allowed to stay there anymore."

Tasha's face fell. "You're mad."

"Yeah. I am. You knew I wouldn't be able to stay with Cate and you just stood there! You didn't say anything," Lux cried out.

"It's not like Fern would have believed me anyway," Tasha said.

"You didn't even try," Lux said, her tone accusatory. "You never wanted me to stay at Cate's. Congratulations! You got what you wanted."

"I wanted you back. With me," Tasha said, her voice breaking. "Is that so bad?"

"And what I wanted didn't matter," Lux said dully.

"It felt like you were leaving me behind. Like Cate was taking you away from me. I missed you," Tasha said sadly.

"I haven't missed you. Getting me into trouble. Making me feel bad for having a family," Lux said angrily.

"I'm sorry," Tasha said, her tone pleading.

"I don't know if I can forgive you," Lux replied.

Tears stung Tasha's eyes. "You don't mean that. You're my best friend. My sister. You're all I have."

"And thanks to you, I don't have anyone else anymore either. Cate lost custody," Lux shot back.

"I'll tell Fern I was the one who stole. That I made you do it," Tasha said desperately.

Lux smiled slightly. "Thanks."

She didn't know if hearing the truth would change Fern's decision, but it was worth a shot.

Tasha nodded. She hesitated. "Bug said he showed up to the motel and you were gone. That you haven't talked to him."

"He was being a jerk," Lux said sadly.

"So is that it? You're done? With him? With us?" Tasha asked.

"I don't know, Tash," Lux said. She frowned. "How did you find me anyways?"

"Cate told me you were staying here," Tasha replied.

Lux walked Tasha out.

She needed to get some fresh air. To clear her mind. She told Cindy she was going for a walk.

When Lux had first started living with Cate, she'd missed Tasha terribly. She'd had trouble functioning without her best friend.

They weren't just friends. For so long, they'd been everything to each other. Tasha had been the only one who understood Lux. The only one who Lux could trust.

That had changed. Lux didn't know when or how, but she knew Cate and Baze had earned her trust while Tasha had lost it.

Tasha hadn't understood why Lux wanted to be with Cate and Baze. She'd been so jealous.

Lux didn't blame her for that. She still understood where Tasha was coming from. But she didn't understand how Tasha could do everything in her power to ruin things for Lux.

What kind of a friend did that? What kind of a friend wouldn't let you be happy?

Lux had lost Tasha before. Tasha's mom was a drug addict who occasionally cleaned up her act. There had been a few times when Tasha's mom had come back for Tasha.

It had always been short-lived because Tasha's mom couldn't stay on the wagon, but Lux had felt the same loss and jealousy she knew Tasha was feeling now.

During those times, Tasha had been the one who had a chance at a family. At a happy ending.

Lux had been jealous. She'd wondered why Tasha's mom came back for her and her own mom never did. She'd felt sorry for herself. She'd even hoped that Tasha's mom would fall off the wagon so she could have her best friend back. Her family back. But she had never gone out of her way to make sure Tasha lost her mom. Not the way Tasha had done to Lux.

No, Lux would never do that to a friend. She was a better friend, Lux realized.

"Lux!"

Lux looked up in surprise when she heard her name. She saw Jones waving at her. He grinned.

"Hey." Lux smiled.

"I didn't know you lived in the neighborhood," Jones said.

"I don't," Lux replied.

Jones gave her an odd look.

"My, uh, grandparents do," Lux explained.

"I had fun at the movie," Jones said.

"I did, too," Lux replied.

She'd had more fun than she expected to have. It had been nice to be a normal kid for a change and just go to the movies. She'd never been able to just be a normal kid before. She'd always had more important things to worry about than the current box office hit.

And Jones was so nice. Lux couldn't remember the last time anyone had been that nice to her.

Jones grinned. "Maybe we can do it again sometime."

"Yeah, I'd like that," Lux said.

"What are you doing now?" Jones asked.

"I was just going for a walk. What about you?" Lux said.

"I was playing football with some guys in the park," Jones replied. "I'm on my way home."

Lux shivered. She glanced at her watch. She'd been outside for over an hour. It was almost dinnertime. She should probably go back to Baze's parents.

"You're freezing," Jones said with a laugh. He took his jacket off and draped it over Lux's shoulders.

"Thanks," Lux said gratefully. The jacket felt warm from Jones.

Jones walked her back to Baze's parents. Lux frowned when she saw Baze's Jeep in the driveway. She didn't know he was coming for dinner. He'd probably brought Cate.

Lux was still mad at Cate. She knew it wasn't all Cate's fault that Lux couldn't stay with her. In fact, it was mostly Lux's fault. But Cate didn't have to go along with it. Cate didn't have to take Lux's key.

It was so easy for Cate. Meanwhile, Lux missed Cate like crazy. She wanted nothing more than to move back home. Lux's greatest fear was that the judge wouldn't reinstate Cate's custody. That the family Lux had known for such a short time would never be the same again.

Jones took Lux by surprise, pulling her out of her thoughts and back to reality, when he kissed her. The kiss was gentle. Sweet.

Lux knew she should pull away. She was with Bug. But she kissed Jones back.

Lux took Jones' jacket off and handed it back to him.

"See you tomorrow," Jones said.

As soon as Lux opened the door, Cate started asking her questions.

"Who was that?" Cate asked curiously.

Lux rolled her eyes. "A friend."

From what Cate had seen, it looked like he was more than a friend. She'd been watching from the window.

"From Westmonte?" Cate asked, smiling slightly.

"Yeah," Lux replied.

"Is this the same friend you went to the movies with?" Cate pressed.

Lux nodded. "Baze has a big mouth," she muttered under her breath.

"And big ears. I heard that," Baze said. "You were with the quarterback again? That's two days in a row!"

Lux blushed slightly. "I ran into him. It's not like we planned it or anything."

"Uh-huh," Baze said, his tone playful, as he looked at Lux doubtfully.

"Dinner's ready!" Cindy called.

Lux breathed a sigh of relief.

"How was paintball?" John asked. He knew Baze, Jaime and Math had taken Lux to play paintball earlier that morning. They'd left as John was getting ready to leave for the golf course.

"Painful," Lux said emphatically, showing off a paintball-sized welt on her shoulder.

"Lux and I beat Jaime and Math," Baze said proudly.

"When I asked you to hang out, that's not exactly what I had in mind," Cate said disapprovingly, frowning when she saw Lux's welts.

Lux rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Cate."

"You don't look fine. You have giant welts all over," Cate pointed out.

"And we won. You should see Jaime and Math." Baze grinned.

"Math isn't a pretty sight right now," Lux commented, smirking.

"Is he ever?" Baze snickered.

Lux shook her head, laughing.

"Are you two ready for the hearing tomorrow?" John asked, looking at Baze and Cate.

Baze nodded.

"I want to go," Lux said.

"It's during school," Cate replied.

Lux frowned. "A hearing that will decide what happens to me is more important than school."

"You can't miss any more school," Cate said firmly.

Lux shot Cate a dirty look. "Do you really think I'll be able to concentrate on school when I know that a judge is deciding if I have to go back to foster care?"

Cate rolled her eyes.

Lux made it clear she was mad at Cate through the rest of dinner. She was friendly to everyone else, but ignored her mother completely.

At the end of the night, Lux hugged Baze goodbye. She went upstairs without saying a word to Cate.

Cate sighed. She followed Lux and sat down beside Lux on her bed. "Look, you know what Fern said. One of the reasons I lost you is because you weren't doing well in school. Do you really think it would look good if you missed school to come to the hearing?"

"And what? I wait to see who picks me up from school? Baze or Fern?" Lux said angrily.

"Baze and I will pick you up," Cate said.

"You don't know that. You know, one of the things I liked about you before I even knew you were my mom is that you always tell the truth. Don't start lying to me now," Lux said, tears in her eyes.

Cate stroked Lux's hair gently. "OK. Can I tell you the truth now?"

Lux nodded.

"I love you. Baze and I are going to do whatever it takes to make sure you can come home. I want you home as much as you want to be home," Cate said softly.

"I love you, too." Lux hugged Cate.


	34. You Belong With Me

Baze felt the bed move. His eyes fluttered open and he saw Cate getting out of bed. He glanced at the clock. It was only 2:39 am.

"Can't sleep either?" Baze asked.

Cate shook her head. She bit her lip. "What if we lose her?"

"That's not gonna happen," Baze said soothingly.

"But what if we do?" Cate said softly.

"Then we'll do whatever it takes to get her back," Baze said firmly.

Cate sat down beside Baze and rested her head on his shoulder. She was so tired.

Lately it felt like nothing was going right. She wasn't working and she didn't know when, or even if, she would be going back to work.

She'd lost her daughter. She missed Lux so badly. She felt like a piece of her heart was missing.

Cate could only imagine Lux's reaction if they didn't get custody today. Lux was already so mad at Cate. Cate knew Lux would be beyond furious if she wasn't able to come home.

Would Lux run again? Cate didn't know.

Baze rubbed Cate's back gently. He'd been so good through all of this. Cate turned to him and kissed him. She wanted to be in his arms. She craved the comfort of being close to him.

* * *

Cate and Baze exchanged a nervous glance. They instinctively clasped hands and crossed the threshold of the courtroom together. The lawyer was already sitting up front. They joined him.

It felt like the hearing dragged on forever. The lawyer presented documentation showing the state of Cate and Baze's finances. Even though Cate wasn't working, she'd been making good money and her bank statements proved she could provide for Lux. Baze had hosted some of the events Cate had recommended at Open Bar and the fledgling business had finally started turning a profit.

Fern told the judge that Lux had been caught stealing and that Lux's grades weren't good. The lawyer pointed out that Lux had been caught stealing before living with Cate and her grades had never been stellar.

The judge studied the paperwork in front of him. "Lux ran away?"

"Yes, your honor," Fern replied.

"_After_ Fern told her she would be returning to Sunnyvale Home for Girls," the lawyer added quickly.

"Is Lux here today?" The judge asked.

"No, your honor. She's at school," Cate replied.

"Lux is fourteen. I usually give children who are fourteen and older an opportunity to tell me who they would like to live with," the judge explained.

"She wants to live with us," Baze said quickly.

Fern nodded. "Lux made it very clear in her evaluation that she wanted to stay with Cate."

"I see no reason to return the child to foster care. She wants to be with her biological mother and her parents obviously want what's best for her. The behavioral problems are typical and, to be honest, minor for children with Lux's background. I am granting Catherine Cassdiy and Nathan Bazille custody of the minor Lux Cassidy," the judge announced.

Cate released the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding. Baze breathed a sigh of relief. Cate hugged Baze, smiling brightly. She felt more relaxed than she had in weeks.

* * *

Lux didn't think time could pass any slower. She kept darting impatient glances at the clock in the back of the classroom. The glances were frequent enough that mere minutes had passed.

Sitting in class felt like Chinese water torture. How could she be expected to pay attention to English when her future was up in the air?

Lux was still mad that Cate hadn't let her miss school to attend the hearing. It was a hearing to decide Lux's future. Lux should be there.

Lux had no idea who would be picking her up from school. Who she would be going home to.

"Lux?"

Lux heard her teacher calling on her and froze. She had no idea what the teacher had asked her. She blushed slightly and shrank down in her seat.

Jones whispered the answer to her. Lux smiled gratefully and repeated the answer.

"Very good, Lux," the teacher commented.

"Thanks," Lux said as they walked to the door.

Jones grinned. "Hey, it's the least I can do. I am your tutor."

"As far as tutors go, you're a pretty good one," Lux said.

Jones' grin widened. "What's wrong? You seem distracted."

Lux hesitated. She felt like she could tell Jones anything. He was so nice. So understanding. But she didn't want him to know she was in foster care. She didn't want anyone to know. "Just family drama," she said vaguely.

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here," Jones said kindly.

Lux nodded. "I know." She hugged him.

"Hey, man, back off!" Bug shoved Jones backward, away from Lux.

Lux looked up in surprise and saw Bug's bike parked at the curb. He'd been waiting for her.

"Bug, stop it," Lux said firmly.

"Stop it? You want me to let you be with him?" Bug demanded angrily. "No way. You're mine."

"We were just talking," Lux protested.

"I may not be at your fancy school, but I'm not stupid. You're doing a lot more than talking," Bug retorted.

Lux crossed her arms in front of her chest protectively. "We're friends."

"How stupid are you? He doesn't want to be friends with you. He just wants to know what it's like to hook up with damaged goods. Were you as easy with him as you were with me?" Bug shouted.

"Hey, that's enough," Jones said.

Bug turned to Jones, his expression dangerous. Lux recognized the expression. She knew all too well that Bug was about to lose his temper and Jones would be on the receiving end.

Lux stepped in between them right as Bug moved to shove Jones. Instead, Bug ended up pushing Lux hard. She fell down to the ground.

Jones helped Lux up.

"Get your hands off her!" Bug shouted.

Lux pulled away from Jones, not wanting Bug to hurt him. Bug grabbed Lux's wrist roughly and dragged her to his bike.

"Baze and Cate are coming to pick me up," Lux said, trying to break free from Bug's grip. At least she hoped they were.

"You're coming with me," Bug said firmly. "You belong with me. No one knows you like I do. No one loves you like I do."

"Hey, if she doesn't want to go, she doesn't have to go," Jones said.

Bug punched Jones in the face. Lux heard Jones' nose break and winced.

Jones felt blood dripping from his nose. When he looked up, Lux and Bug were gone.

* * *

Cate and Baze pulled up to Westmonte in Baze's blue Jeep. Neither of them could wait to tell Lux the good news. They were going to go out to dinner to celebrate Lux's homecoming.

They saw other kids milling about, but didn't see Lux anywhere. They exchanged nervous glances.

Cate bit her lip. "Do you think she ran again? You know, because she didn't know if we'd get custody."

"No," Baze said.

"If she thought there was a possibility of her going back to foster care…" Cate trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Baze jumped slightly when he heard a knock on his window. He rolled down the window.

"You're Lux's dad, right?" Jones asked nervously.

"Yeah. You're Jones. She went to the movies with you," Baze said knowingly.

"Yeah, uh, we were talking after school and this guy showed up. He started screaming at her. He shoved her," Jones said.

"Did this guy have a spider web on his neck?" Baze asked quietly, his tone dangerous.

"Yeah," Jones replied.

"Where are they?" Cate demanded, her voice laced with concern.

Jones shrugged helplessly. "I tried to stop him, but he made her leave with him."


End file.
